Be filial while you still can.

SGGP June 25, 2023 07:09

That time, my mother expressed her wish to go to Quang Binh once, to visit the hometown of General Vo Nguyen Giap. When I heard her confess that, I was both surprised and happy. So one day, that “country mother” thought of a trip…

1. Like many other mothers in the countryside, my mother's life is almost confined to her village. If she goes out of the familiar village, it is only within the province, on important work or to visit an acquaintance's house. The rest of her time is spent on the fields, cooking, shopping... The work is continuous and rarely stops.

Later, when we grew up, each of us had our own lives; in addition, we were no longer as poor as before, so my mother also paid back some of the fields, only making enough to eat. The pressure of having children and making a living seemed to have lessened somewhat, thanks to that, my mother was able to go to Hanoi to attend the death anniversary, and to Saigon with me a few years ago. At that time, I wanted my mother to stay longer, but she still insisted on coming back. Whether I wanted it or not, I had to follow my mother's wishes, because I knew that in her mind at that time, the pigs, the chickens, the pond of water spinach... were still waiting.

2. Until now, I am still moved when I look back at the image of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kiem (87 years old, living in La Phu commune, Hoai Duc district, Hanoi) and her three children on the occasion of the Hung King's death anniversary this year. To fulfill their mother's wish to personally offer incense to King Hung, her two sons, Mr. Ngo Van Thuong and Mr. Ngo Van Tuan, carried their mother and her wheelchair up nearly 500 stone steps to the top of the mountain, passing through the Lower Temple, the Middle Temple and then the Upper Temple.

I don’t understand why, when that beautiful and warm image was published in some newspapers, there were many people who criticized it. A friend took a screenshot and sent it to me, I was both surprised and angry. No one has the right to insult filial piety to one’s parents, no matter what form it takes.

Because doing something to make your mother happy, especially when she is old and her life is as fragile as a candle in the wind, can also be seen as a way to show filial piety to the person who gave birth to and raised her.

After reading the story of the two sons of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kiem, I felt sad about my mother's wish. I wanted to personally take my mother there, but due to my busy work schedule, I have not been able to fulfill her wish. This makes me feel uneasy every time I think about it.

Family meals filled with warmth and love between generations. Photo: KHOI LAM CHIEU

3. I have a friend who initially had a "frontal" attitude towards TikTok. Because according to him, watching TikTok was just a waste of time and full of "nonsense". But one day, he "fell" because of TikTok. That time, he happened to watch a video of Mr. Do Van Huong (48 years old, living in Hanoi).

In this video, Mr. Huong recorded taking care of and talking to his 96-year-old mother. At this age, it is rare for people to be healthy and clear-minded. Mr. Huong's mother is confused, forgetful, and always speaks and acts innocently like a child.

Like my friend, when watching the videos that Mr. Huong posted, I was also "knocked out" by the kindness he showed to his mother. I was engrossed in watching one video after another. There was a video of the old lady innocently clapping her hands and singing: "The little stork, it perched on a bamboo branch. It went without asking its mother, how did it know which way to go" . There was a video of the old lady constantly complaining of hunger and asking for food, even though her children had fed her before. There was another video, not knowing where she hid the money, but she sat there screaming so miserably that Mr. Huong had to panic and go looking for it...

Regarding the aging of children - this conclusion is probably not without basis. In many videos, the old lady is often "whiny" like a child, sometimes even angry and sulking. However, viewers seem to have never seen Mr. Huong angry or yelling at his mother, but always talking gently, patiently, and comforting her.

Mr. Huong's videos always have a high number of views with many comments expressing admiration and emotion: "The young generation needs to watch to learn and take care of the people who gave birth to them and raised them", "If you love your grandfather nine times, you love your brother ten times. Because he is confused, as a child, you must have patience in your heart and have great love to be like him"...

According to the law of birth, aging, sickness and death, parents will grow old and cannot be with us forever. Therefore, to show filial piety to parents, especially when they are old and weak, if you can do something for them, do it now.

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