I read the story of the “children in green shirts” bringing “Loving Meals” to the poor people of Lien Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district and was filled with emotion. Because recently we saw the story of a young girl spreading on social networks teaching how to live without having to work by using tricks to get money from others. A very offensive way of life, if not to say it is a very evil mistake in the thinking of young people.
The "Loving Meal" of the Youth Union members of Lien Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district, Nghe An has been taking place for 5 years. That amount of time is enough to see that this is not a sudden start, or a rallying call, but a persistent journey from the volunteering heart of the young people here. A beautiful lifestyle in the midst of the chaotic, chaotic times of too many tricks to become famous of many young people with illusions. 5 years of tirelessly bringing warm, humane meals to people in difficult circumstances in the poor countryside. Indeed, this is not easy for me. In addition to the story of food, clothing, and money for the young people to make a living, there is also the process of mobilizing, cooking, and distributing. Sometimes we only know the results but cannot understand the journey of the young Union members in this countryside. It is a whole act of kindness and humanity that must be cultivated from many generations, from community awareness to the personal story of each young person here.
Saturday morning at the end of the week, for many young people across the country, is a day of rest after a week of work, or it will be a trip here and there, or it can be a trip back to reunite with family after a long time apart. However, for the young people of Lien Thanh commune, they choose to go out and bring love through warm meals to the elderly, the lonely, and those in difficult circumstances throughout their commune. At the gathering point, they share the steps from going to the market, to cooking, dividing the food and giving it away. On that journey, for 5 years, they chose to contribute to the community, sacrificing more or less their personal joys on the weekend.
There are mature generations who still return to the “Loving Meal”, there are families with two generations joining hands for the “Loving Meal” and there are also many people who are no longer young but voluntarily come to the “Loving Meal”. Many people in Lien Thanh share eggs, rice, meat, and vegetables for the “Loving Meal”. That is a solidarity that I think the young members of Lien Thanh never thought of at the beginning. The success of the “Loving Meal” is not only about warming up human relationships but also about connecting many generations, shortening distances, and creating a decent community. People to people, should we live for each other? That is the most noble humanity of this society.
I think the story of the “Loving Meal” of young people wearing the green uniform of the Youth Union needs to be expanded and spread more widely so that love can flow in the hearts of young people. So that young people themselves can see that living truly, living beautifully, living by their own kind work is a life worth living. If our society can maintain the green color of humanity, we will certainly be a society of love and harmony. If the society is full of naive young people teaching each other tricks and tricks to live a fake life, the result will be a selfish and distrustful society.
They are also young people, but if we consider the story of the Lien Thanh members with the young girl posting instructions for everyone to live a lazy, debauched life, we will naturally know where the youth is dedicated to society. And, perhaps, we need to eliminate the problem of young people teaching each other to live badly on social networks so that the beautiful lifestyle of the "green color of righteousness" can spread universally and widely. I believe that if we dye the green color of righteousness across this S-shaped strip of land, one day, we will breathe the freshest and most peaceful breath.
Article: Tong Phuoc Bao
Illustration: Hoai Thu
