Lieu Hong Thanh (Facebook name "Thanh Que Mua"), 24 years old, lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City. She shares video clips of her family in her hometown of Dong Thap. Without any special events or grand stories, these very ordinary, simple images—family gatherings, picking vegetables, lighting a fire, cooking rice—always receive much love from the online community.
Perhaps what makes many people stop to watch is not just the familiar village scenery, but also the feeling of returning to the most intimate things. In daily life, we sometimes don't pay much attention to our mother's call for dinner, our father's request for help, or the stories told over and over again at the dinner table. Only when we are far away do these seemingly small things become clearly apparent in our memories.
Illustration: LE HAI/ qdnd.vn
It's worth noting that maintaining that bond doesn't require every child to quit their job, return to their hometown, or do something extraordinary. For those busy earning a living, sometimes being a good child starts with proactively calling to check on their parents, listening to their stories, and arranging to visit home when possible. Once home, instead of just resting in their room or quickly handling work on their phone, they should help their mother prepare meals, assist their father with watering the plants, go to the market, or simply spend a little more time with their parents.
These things may not solve all the difficulties of old age, but they can help parents feel that they are still cared for. Sometimes, parents ask their children if they have eaten, if work is hard, when they will be home... not necessarily because they lack information. Perhaps what they also hope for is a conversation, a sharing, and the feeling of still being present in their children's lives.
Don't wait until your parents are sick to think about spending time with them. Family bonds are not only strengthened during difficult times, but also through regular presence on ordinary days.
Maturity means that each person must walk their own path, take care of their own life, and be responsible for their choices. But maturity also means understanding that, in addition to building a future, there are relationships that need to be nurtured in the present.
Going home, ultimately, isn't just about resting after tiring days at work. It's also an opportunity to return to a simple role: being a child and showing filial piety. Sometimes, what parents need isn't how much their children can do for them, but simply for their children to be present, sitting beside them, talking, and living ordinary days with them while they still can.