"Defective" meals

(Baonghean) - Family meals represent unity and happiness. But in reality, not every family meal is always full of members. Modern life is bustling and busy, and "missing" meals seem to be more and more common!

Meal of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lien and 5 orphans in Nghi Phu commune, Vinh city. Photo: NK

For the past few years, the meals of Mr. Cao Van Khoa and Mrs. Truong Thi Tam's family in Hamlet 1, Nam Anh Commune, Nam Dan District have consisted of only the elderly couple. Whenever the weather changes or they are sick, their daily meals seem to become more difficult to swallow than ever.

But recently, the couple’s daily meals seem to be more delicious when their youngest son Cao Van Quang, after graduating with honors from Ton Duc Thang Vocational College in Ho Chi Minh City, was awarded a scholarship to work in Japan. Mrs. Tam shared: “The food is simple but my grandparents both find it delicious. I have to try to eat, first to have the health to let my son work in a foreign country with peace of mind, and secondly to wait for my son to come back to get married and have grandchildren…”

In the house of Mrs. Vi Thi Huong, 58 years old, in Thanh Son commune, Thanh Chuong district, family meals take place in a heavy atmosphere. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has taken away her only son, her daughter-in-law has also left because of her sad fate, coming back only once or twice a year; the poor meals of her and her 6-year-old grandson consist only of sticky rice with fermented bean curd and some bitter bamboo shoots.

Mrs. Tran Thi Ly in hamlet 10A, Bao Thanh commune (Yen Thanh) is taking care of meals for her grandchildren.

Family meals are precious, if not cherished, unintentionally, that preciousness becomes sad. Now, NT Phuong (Vinh City) is more aware of the value of family meals than ever. For more than 2 months now, Hung, Phuong's husband has not come home... If only she had not had the attitude of a city girl looking down on him as a "country bumpkin"; not looked down on him for earning less money than others, not spoken rudely to him. If only she had been a good daughter-in-law to her in-laws, if only she had kept her love for him like before... then now Phuong would not have to accept bitter, boring meals in resentment like now.

“Old people live for their children and grandchildren. Eating alone is sad, but eventually it becomes a habit,” said Mrs. Tran Thi Xoan, 66 years old, hamlet 14, Nghi Kim commune, forcing a smile to cheer her up. Her husband passed away a long time ago, so Mrs. Xoan raised her 3 children alone. Now the eldest two work for hire in the South, and the youngest daughter works as a factory worker for a company in the area. Every day, she stays home to look after her grandchildren; her daughter works overtime, leaving in the morning and coming back late at night. At home, the two of them struggle with a hard-earned worker’s wage meal. After cooking porridge, feeding her grandchildren, and putting them to sleep, Mrs. Xoan quietly enjoys her daily meal.

The frugal lunch of a freelance worker.

The lunch of freelance workers who gather every day at the intersections in the city has a different meaning. Ms. Nguyet's meal (Nghi An commune) is packed in a small lunch box, including rice, vegetables, a piece of salted fish and no soup. Ms. Nguyet's day starts at 5am with waking up to cook rice for herself and the whole family, then cycling until dark, and when she gets home, her child has finished eating. "I also crave a hot meal with all the members, but I have to accept it. It's all for the clothes and books for my child, because on holidays I want to give my child a meal that is not inferior to his friends."

Family meals are not a habit, but a fire that warms happiness. In today's busy life, family meals without members, even if not wanted, have become inevitable. And to avoid sad meals, everyone should cherish and take care of happy, family meals...

Thanh Son