5 days 5 nights together

Photo: DUYEN PHAN

There are also dozens of invitations. Do you like it? Do you like it? Are you happy? Probably happy. I asked myself. But whoever gathers, gather. Whoever disperses, disperse. Whoever escapes the heat, go ahead... My family is staying put this time.

Anything is fine. Nothing is necessary. Why do we have to do something to be right? The most important thing is to be together, happy, peaceful, leisurely, and quiet.

1. Some friends are worried, "Should we gather at the grandparents' house?". Some are cautious, "Will the kids leaving make the grandparents feel sad, afraid that they will miss their children?". After "packing" the family into the mobile home, picking up the kids from school, driving through the night to the camp, a close friend still had time to "comfort" them: Some families gather together, some families scatter, you have to understand, that's it. I laughed, gather here, then scatter somewhere else. Scatter here just to gather somewhere else. There's nothing to worry about. It's just a matter of timing.

Just the other day when we went to see the house, even though it only needed a "split in and out" space, that space had to have a large living room, big enough for friends to gather and drink on the weekend.

Back and forth, "also crawling in and out" but must have a bedroom for the kids. Then no longer need a living room because they each want a room, all friends have wives calling and children calling, boss is around, no time to have a living room to hang out. Then comes the time when the house is too spacious, must find a small place so the wife won't nag about cleaning.

My younger brother came over to visit and looked at the empty apartment with a worried look: "Let me order a table set, it can be folded up neatly when not in use." I laughed and said: "My son, I've already "minimized" from three to one, why do I need to add a bunch of messy tables and chairs?"

It seems that at a certain age, we suddenly find ourselves talking less, buying less, partying less, and drinking less. Worry, anger, judgment, expectations… also seem to lessen. Is it because of this that the space around us suddenly becomes more spacious? The words that come out of our mouths become softer?

2. The little girl went to school far from home. One day, she saw a clip of her father singing with his colleagues at the company and suddenly exclaimed: "Dad, you sing so well. Why don't you sing for us?" "Come on, sister. When you were little, I held you in my arms and almost sang around the world, but you didn't sleep. Everyone in the family said my singing was so horrible. Since then, I have never dared to sing for you again."

The daughter was already sarcastic and mocking. She laughed: so now dad only sings parts that "judge" his high voice?

The little girl tickled her old man. The old man changed the subject: "So I have more motivation to practice my lessons. When you come home, I'll sing to you, okay?"

He said yes, then remembered something and reminded: Now, Dad, practice singing for your youngest daughter and your daughter. Now there are only three people in the house... The old man pretended to sigh: Those two people won't listen. So how can you sing so that the "young" will listen? So that in the future, they won't blame you like me: Dad (sings) well but I don't.

The fat old man laughed: Now you're even borrowing Mr. Bien's words (the work "I'm good but you don't love me" by writer Doan Thach Bien). Wait until we leave Vietnam to come back to reading Vietnamese literature, my child? The two of you laughed out loud. Remember to practice singing, so that your youngest daughter won't blame you "why are you singing for anyone else?" I know, Second Sister. This trip is long, I won't go anywhere, I'll just lie down for 5 days and 5 nights to practice singing, okay?

3. It's rare that we can talk to each other so much, even just from a small story about singing practice. It's just what my child told me. The way an eighteen-year-old girl starts learning how to take care of a family, how to remind people of this and that... Actually, there's no need for big things. There's no need for many plans or goals. Practicing singing is fine. Cooking is fine. Lying around reading a book all night is fine. Doing anything is fine. Not doing anything is fine. Why do we have to do something? The most important thing is to be together, happy, peaceful, leisurely, and quiet.

Take care, be present in each other, in the present days, so as not to have any regrets. Because one day when we look back, we will see that the joys, memories, and happy moments are not when we achieve this or that goal, buy this house, change that car... but are the most ordinary and simple things: the child rushing out from the corner of the house to greet me when I come home from work, the moment when the child holds my hand to reconcile, the early morning or late afternoon walks, without having to say anything to each other, listening to the same bird call, sharing a look, an act of agreement, even the way we respect opposing views.

Or the way we look at a flower, a leaf.

We often forget the simple and beautiful things like that. Sometimes, when we do nothing, think nothing, hope for nothing, or wait for nothing, the simple things appear as beautiful as a clump of green grass in the scorching midday sky, like a sip of fresh water, like a rainbow from a rain that has been awaited for many days.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/5-ngay-5-dem-co-mat-trong-nhau-20240428090200993.htm