The moon is waning… but the heart is full

For me, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a sweet memory of my childhood, of bright moonlit nights, the sound of lion drums resounding throughout the small village. For many people, it is the season of full moon and complete reunion. But perhaps, now, every full moon in August, I feel a pang of sadness. Because, in my heart, there is a missing piece that cannot be healed in the fullness due to the separation of my brother and the losses of “my compatriots” after the storms and floods.

The poverty of the Central farmers in the 80s made my parents accept to leave their homeland to go to the South to make a living. My five siblings and I grew up in material poverty, but the love and the most beautiful memories of our childhood that we had were probably immeasurable. Mid-Autumn Festival at that time was so simple, there were no fragrant moon cakes, no colorful lanterns or bustling lion dances. Mid-Autumn Festival in those old years, there was only the bustling sound of us children in the small hamlet of a few households, the shouting, chasing "the moon is chasing me, guys...", "Hey, help me cover the candle so I can relight it", the heads huddled together to relight the extinguished candles in the simplest star lanterns...

As for my family, the most wonderful memories are the bright eyes of the five siblings when they saw the white, even bamboo strips that our parents meticulously selected and whittled to make lanterns, the pot of glue stirred from wheat flour to stick colored cellophane sheets, the precious little moon cake, cut into 5 equal parts for the 5 siblings... Those beautiful memories, intentionally or unintentionally, keep rising in me every time the Mid-Autumn Festival comes. When life was a little better, every Mid-Autumn Festival, my family had more moon cakes, which were also cut into 5 parts, but only for the 4 of us who stayed behind, and one part was sent to Ba through incense, he left us because of a serious illness... Perhaps, somewhere far away, he was still smiling happily because in my heart and the hearts of everyone who stayed behind, there was a compartment reserved for him. Even though he was not physically present, each member of the family could still feel the warmth completely.

And… this Mid-Autumn Festival, the Central region has just had to endure storm No. 10 - a storm considered one of the strongest storms in the past 10 years. Roofs were blown off houses, fields were devastated, floods swept through every village road, sweeping away even small dreams. Villages were in disarray after the storm, children sat huddled on their porches, all over the Central region, the Mid-Autumn Festival of 2025 will probably be… a missing Mid-Autumn Festival…

However, amidst the destruction and pain, I saw humanity more clearly than ever. Caravans from all over poured into the Central region, bringing instant noodles, drinking water, warm clothes and the most essential necessities... I suddenly felt warmed up, despite the loss, despite the moon not being full, people's hearts were still bright. Because where there is sharing, there is affection and where there is love, there is still a full moon. Mid-Autumn Festival is now not only a children's festival, but also a festival of the human heart - where the gaps in this life are filled with affection, humanity and even handshakes and hugs - things that seem small, but are extremely warm. And that is the most complete image of a meaningful Mid-Autumn Festival.

Minh Nhat

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/van-hoa/202510/anh-trang-khuyet-nhung-long-nguoi-tron-day-14f10a1/