Touching image of mother in letter about hero written by 7th grade female student

Surpassing thousands of letters about “my hero” in the 48th UPU International Letter Writing Competition in 2019, the letter of Thieu Thi Vy Anh (born 2006, grade 7A student, Dong Yen Secondary School, Dong Son district, Thanh Hoa) conquered the hearts of the judges and won first prize at the provincial level.

The 48th UPU International Letter Writing Competition in 2019 had the theme: "Write a letter about your hero", student Thieu Thi Vy Anh chose the image of her mother as the "character" for her idea.

Write about mother with all heart

Different from the pattern of other letters, right at the beginning of the letter, Vy Anh wrote: “Like turtles leaving the uncertain sea to find a calm sandy shore to lay golden eggs. Like salmons overcoming dangerous rapids to find cool drops of water, exhausting themselves to sacrifice for their young salmon. Like herds of wild buffaloes in the middle of the wild night in the deep forest, still knowing how to herd their young in the middle of the herd, the safest place... Like turtles, salmon, and wild buffaloes, mothers always protect and shelter their children.".

Revealing this idea, Vy Anh said: “I want to use the image of animals as a highlight, because “maternal love” is an instinct of mothers. Mothers can sacrifice themselves to protect and defend their own blood. And from there, I want to express my thoughts, feelings, gratitude… for the immense kindness of my mother - the hero in my heart”.

Maybe to others, a hero is a “superman” with extraordinary strength, a talented person…, but the only hero in my heart is my mother, a simple, gentle farmer full of sacrifice: “You may find it strange because when talking about heroes, people often imagine someone with strength or a man with long shoulders and broad strength, that person must be very great. But for me, my mother is the only hero, occupying a special place in my heart, in my life. My mother is just a farmer, her life has been full of hardships and difficulties, ever since she was a child she has suffered all kinds of hardships. My grandparents' family was very poor so my mother's life was not happy either...".

Vy Anh confided that when she put down her pen, the image of her mother's hard work and diligence appeared, and the memories of her mother throughout her childhood were unforgettable. She wrote about her mother with all her heart.

At the end of the letter, the little girl once again affirmed that her hero was her mother and her wish, though sincere, was also great: “If the genie granted me one wish, I would not wish for anything big, but simply for my mother not to age any more, for her to be happy, healthy, and joyful enough to overcome life's challenges with me and take care of me. For me, a hero is not far away but always by my side. That is my mother, the most wonderful hero and the one who no one can replace.

What is special about this student's letter is that it is very beautiful, the strokes are even and run together on the page, creating an immediate sympathy with the reader.

Love mother so try to study well

Vy Anh is the second child in a farming family in Yen Doan I village, Dong Yen commune, Dong Son district, Thanh Hoa. Her mother has heart disease, the family's income depends only on a few acres of contracted rice fields. Vy Anh said that many times her mother was seriously ill, but because of her circumstances, she gritted her teeth and endured, refusing to go to the hospital. The older Vy Anh gets, the more she understands her mother's hardships, difficulties, and silent sacrifices.

“My family is very poor. Whenever we could buy good food, my mother would save her portion for me and my sisters. I still remember clearly the days when I was sick. My mother cycled dozens of kilometers to take me to the hospital, taking care of me and worrying about me every little thing. My mother cried when she saw me in pain, and would save her portion for me,” the young student shared.

During her 7 years of school, she has always been an excellent student. Currently, Vy Anh is also on the list of the school's Literature team.

Sharing about her little student, Ms. Do Thi Tuyet, homeroom teacher of class 7A, said: “I am not only the homeroom teacher but also the Literature teacher of Vy Anh. Vy Anh is mentioned by everyone as a good and gentle girl and for many years she has been an excellent student of the school and of the class. Currently, she is in the top “source” students to participate in the school’s Literature competition.”

It was the hardships and difficulties that helped the little student to cultivate her independence and efforts in life. In the letter, the little girl mentioned her mother with pride and admiration:“When I was in a higher grade, my mother could no longer help me with my studies. She looked pensive with sad eyes and said softly to me: “I am illiterate, I cannot help you anymore. Try to listen to your teachers and ask your friends to study well.” From her eyes, I felt sadness filling the corners of her eyes.

Life was hard and made my mother sick, but she never told my sisters and I, just endured it alone. Perhaps she was afraid that we would worry, the more we did, the more we loved her. My mother had a hard life, but she never complained. Every time she looked at me affectionately, I understood that she trusted and had a lot of hope in me..."

“The older I get, the more I understand my mother’s hardships and sufferings. I love her more and more and tell myself that I can only study hard to repay her. When I received the news that I won first prize at the provincial level in the UPU letter writing contest, I was very happy. And the first person I thought of was my mother…” - Vy Anh confided.