The more we learn, the more we understand the boundless boundaries of emotion. That realm doesn't limit anyone, but not everyone discovers the path to it! Sometimes we strive so hard just to obtain something simple – a smile on the lips of the one we love. Happiness then becomes a reward in life's gift basket. People seek happiness in grand, distant things on the horizon. As for me, I seek the happiness that radiates from the simple life. Happiness overflowed on the first day my small feet left their mark on the grounds of the University of Humanities – a place that has shone brightly for generations of students for so many years! Happiness when I realize how many aspirations are blossoming! And one afternoon, while contemplating, happiness flooded my young heart with the warm, poignant voice of that Stone Flower tree on the Voice of Vietnam radio waves:
What I remember most from my childhood is the moment I first stepped through the school gates. I was in first grade. On my first day of school, everyone looked at me. They looked at me with strange eyes, with surprise, and even with coldness. They said the worst things to me. They wouldn't play with me. They thought I was fatherless, that I was a disabled child. At that time, I became self-conscious and withdrawn. But my life truly changed when I entered the Faculty of Humanities, a school that gave me so much faith and strength. From a shy, timid boy who was always insecure about himself, I have now become a proud and confident humanities student. Since entering the school, I have received so much help from my teachers and friends.
Stone Flower Tree - my friend! My dear friend, the resilient Stone Flower Tree of the K58 Literature class, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities – Vietnam National University, Hanoi. "Stone Flower" is the name I gave to Vien, my classmate! Life hasn't been kind to my friend, offering her the beautiful, peaceful moments that others have. But time has proven that her soul never gives up, weaving happiness for herself and those around her.
From the moment he was born, Vien was not as fortunate as his peers. He was born with a congenital disability affecting the left side of his body. My first conversation with Vien was during Professor Vi's Folklore class. It was early autumn, and I sat there, taking notes amidst the gentle fragrance of milk flower blossoms – the soul of Hanoi wafting through the lecture hall. The atmosphere was poetic, dreamy, and intoxicating. Was it the poetry and dreams of nature, or the dreams of a young student on her first day of school, making a new friend? Time passed, but it couldn't carry away the deep, intertwined feelings, a bond forged over a thousand years, especially a human connection. Vien and I grew closer. His self-confidence, his efforts to overcome the harshness of fate, and his academic achievements were like a gust of wind that swept away from my memory the thought that "my friend is disabled." I didn't even consider that possibility. I forgot it long ago. Perhaps it was when, in the crimson twilight dappled the schoolyard, that Stone Flower tree walked close beside me, telling me things I didn't understand in class or sharing touching, heartwarming stories from the club that bore its name? It's quite possible!
For me, the days gone by, the present, and perhaps even the future, the moments spent with Vien are when I feel I must do more, strive with all my might. I love those afternoons studying with Vien. Because those are the moments I want to hold onto, to admire another sweet, ripe fruit of life. Because at that time, Hoa Da "blooms" beautiful flowers on a life so incredibly harsh for a young man in the prime of his youth, full of vitality!
They say girls often have strange desires. I neither completely admit nor completely disagree! In winter, sitting alone studying, the light and the warmth from the heated mattress weren't enough to keep me warm against the gusts of wind blowing through the window cracks, and I suddenly wished Hoa Da were right beside me. I suddenly wanted to hold Vien's hand, to receive a little warmth from him. Suddenly, I wanted to run out to the dormitory courtyard dotted with tiny white blossoms, look up at the window sparkling with dreams—where Vien was diligently studying his textbooks—and ask him, "Are you cold?" I felt sorry for those bitterly cold winter days, when my Hoa Da was tormented by terrible leg pain. But more than my love, Vien still persevered to fulfill the plans of a proud and determined literature student!
If life were only about oneself, selfish and petty, then humanity would be like a dead sea, forever isolated and unable to integrate with the vibrant life around us! By integrating with the lively rhythm of life around us, each person finds solace for their wounds. Personal happiness is found in the greater happiness of the community. Because of this belief, in addition to being determined to study hard, Vien also participates in the club for disabled students at the school. Many times I wondered:Starry SkydTake time to rest instead of going to the club all the time.He returned my smile, full of hope:“I want to understand and empathize with the people in the club and my friends who are facing similar difficulties. Caring for and sharing with those in need in other places can be expressed through simple gestures and actions, but it helps me discover the meaningful aspects of life, allowing me to appreciate and love more.”
Those simple yet invaluable life lessons, I might not have absorbed or gathered so much of them if I hadn't been fortunate enough to have the resilient and compassionate Stone Flower as a friend!
We don't have many memories together so far. But what Hoa Da has given me in the two years since I entered the school is enough to create immense warmth and sweetness. I learned so many life lessons from Hoa Da, lessons I could find in a beautiful poem or a beautiful piece of writing. However, perhaps the lessons in books aren't as captivating or powerful enough to touch the soul as the examples of good people and good deeds in real life! This year on March 8th, whether I was thoughtless or preoccupied with other matters, I forgot to send my beloved mother sweet wishes. I casually scrolled through Facebook and stopped at a status that touched my heart deeply:"Mom, on International Women's Day (March 8th), I wish you good health and happiness so you can always be by my side. Thank you for raising me to be who I am today. And I want to say that I love you very much. I will try my best to stand on my own two feet because I am your son."The picture made me cry and miss my mother so much. The sacred bond of motherhood is something we don't usually realize, but a gentle reminder can ignite it intensely. I silently thank Hoa Đá for that status update. Thank you for reminding me to do something so loving!
It's always the case that people and events from the past are remembered in the form of a memory! And that memory is the thread that connects the past and the present, creating the sweetness of life – love! Love for family. And even more, love for the school where I spent countless days and nights, filled with so many memories. "Humanism in me" doesn't just exist in material form with its multi-story buildings and well-equipped facilities. That school is built on the beauty radiating from the aura of knowledge, from the meaning of teachers and pure friendship, and also from people who, despite suffering and illness, rose up powerfully! On the bustling, competitive path of life, I fear I might be selfish and forget all the years of memories at this school. And perhaps at those times, Hoa Da, with its eyes shining with faith and extraordinary resilience, will become the anchor for me to journey back to a not-so-distant past, to calmly arrange my heart into a resonant melody of lyrics:"Live like the Stone Flowers..."
I send my words on the wind, distilling my love like a fragrant, passionate scent of affection!
The scent of friendship…
The scent of happiness…
Getting to know Hoa Da…
Under the roof of a school with such a beautiful name…
Humanism…!
Author:Trinh Thi Thuy Hien - K58 High-Quality Literature
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