Cherish life

Recently, news of people throwing themselves into the cold waters of rivers has appeared with chilling frequency. Every day, scrolling through social media, it's not difficult to see short news headlines like: "A man jumped off bridge X...", "A young woman jumped into river Y...". Behind those words are the heart-wrenching cries of those left behind, the trembling child holding an incense stick calling for her mother's soul, the elderly mother collapsing by the water's edge, the distraught husband staring down at the icy river – where a part of his life has just been lost. Even just reading about such scenes is enough to make one's heart ache.

Some choose to end their lives due to illness, others to debt, emotional distress, or unnameable pressures. The reasons are countless, but perhaps the common thread is despair, a feeling of hopelessness when, in that moment, they see no other way out than death. The moment of throwing oneself into the water, seemingly a release, is actually the beginning of an unimaginable cycle of suffering for those who remain.

The increasing number of people choosing death as a last resort forces us to ask: What has caused humanity to lose its most precious instinct – the instinct for survival? Why is life, which is the most sacred thing, treated so lightly?

During my journalistic career, I've visited hospitals many times, meeting doctors, nurses, and patients, listening to countless life stories. There were female cancer patients who, even knowing they only had a few months to live, still managed to smile, still tried to eat another spoonful of porridge, just hoping to prolong their lives a little longer, hoping to see and hold their children one more time. There were children with bald heads from chemotherapy, their innocent yet resilient eyes heartbreaking. They didn't know what "death" was, only that "I want to get better so I can go to school, so I can go home." There, one sees an incredibly intense desire to live. Every breath, every minute of life is immeasurable happiness.

I've also been to remote mountain villages, where the biting cold still chills the air, yet children go to school barefoot, their stomachs empty but their eyes sparkling. They may lack many things, but it's rare to see any of them complain or feel discouraged. In those dark, luminous eyes lies the yearning to learn, to grow, and to live a better life. Even in the most impoverished places, people cherish life the most.

In bustling cities, amidst dazzling lights and lavish meals, people easily succumb to emotional wounds. The more comfortable they live, the more vulnerable they become to their emotions, easily defeated by loneliness, harsh words online, or temporary setbacks in work or relationships. Perhaps this is the tragedy of those who are losing their capacity for resilience – a quality once considered a hallmark of Vietnamese people for generations?

Since ancient times, in East Asian culture, "life" has always been considered paramount. People may endure hunger, cold, and hardship, but they must never disregard their own lives or the lives of others. For life is a gift from parents, a creation of nature, a sacred gift that each person is given only once.

Vietnamese people often teach their children and grandchildren that:"As long as there are people, there is wealth.","Take care of yourself while you work."That simple teaching contains a profound philosophy of life: all pain, loss, and failure can be overcome, as long as we are alive. Taking one's own life is not only a foolish act but also a sin – a sin of filial impiety. Because when a person passes away, parents lose their child, children lose their parents, relatives lose their loved ones, and life loses its sacred meaning.

Death, in folk beliefs, has never been a liberation. Ancient people believed that the souls of those who died unjustly could not find peace, while the living would carry the pain and remorse for the rest of their lives. Therefore, in all cultures, life is always revered.

Today, in a rapidly changing world, people are overwhelmed by the pressures of making a living, studying, working, relationships, social media, and more. We race against time, compare ourselves to others, and often forget the most fundamental aspects of a happy life: being able to breathe, to live, and to be ourselves.

Some young people, due to failing university entrance exams, heartbreak, financial losses, or online abuse, resort to suicide. At an age when they should be learning to get back on their feet, they choose to give up. This is not only a personal tragedy but also a wake-up call about a generation severely lacking in life skills, emotional education, and emotional support.

We've talked a lot about economics and technology, but we forget that the foundation of all development is culture, the way people treat life, suffering, and themselves. When a society disregards life, when suicides become "hot news," when death is discussed as a phenomenon, that's when culture is eroding.

Preserving life is not just about preserving it for oneself, but also about preserving filial piety, compassion, and faith in life. We need to learn to dialogue with pain, instead of running away from it. We need to teach children that failure is not the end; we need to let the vulnerable understand that they are not alone, that there are always hands ready to reach out to them. And most importantly, we need to awaken in each person a gratitude for life – something that so many unfortunate people yearn for every moment.

Upon reflection, the greatest sin in a person's life is not squandering their family's wealth, indulging in debauchery, or going astray, but taking the lives of others and of themselves. When we dare to live, even for just one more day, that is already a victory. And only when we learn to cherish life can we truly step out of the darkness and rediscover our humanity.