The path back to childhood

(Baonghean) - I still believe that on the countless paths of life leading to certain goals, when our feet are tired and weary, that's when our souls long to find a place of refuge. That peaceful shade has a name.CHILDHOOD.

Fly high! - Photo by Phan Van Toan

Despite the bitterness and hardship, we still fondly remember the vibrant colors of the clouds at sunset, which painted in our imaginations the image of a dreamy, majestic horizon. We fondly remember the fragrant fields of harvest season, our hands searching beneath each stubble for the dream of crabs and snails. We fondly remember the resentment over the rice cake that was never divided equally. And our joy is linked to the perfectly round marble, the kite soaring endlessly into the blue sky… As some poet once wrote: “Children’s play is true play / Children’s laughter is true laughter.”

Is it possible that, in this moment of nostalgic longing, we want to exclaim: How innocent and pure we were back then! Innocent even in our worries! Is it possible that we laughed at the sacred belief in the magic wand, in the benevolent spirit that appeared after Tam's tears, in the dream of being in the adult world where everything we did was right and we wouldn't be punished... Oh, we laughed, yet couldn't help but feel sorrow... We - the adults who do everything right - did we hear the children below, excitedly calling to each other to climb the banyan tree and pick starfruit? Did we see the sparkling joy in each rolling marble? And yet we were indifferent, greedy, and deceitful without being punished?

It turns out that returning to childhood isn't just about reflection and nostalgia; it's also a way to look back at ourselves, a way to nourish the gradually barren souls of us adults with a refreshing stream of water... Thank you, children, and thank you, my childhood... You taught me that the moment a child is born is the most sacred and overwhelming moment. You taught me the strength and power of a mother connected to that unparalleled creativity... You taught me that children and their world will one day be the place we return to. It's also the place we call home.HOPEA place where the dreams we haven't had a chance to fulfill in this life will continue to take flight...

Nghe An Weekend