Family - A sacred place...

In Vietnam, across generations, the family has been formed and developed with positive standards, contributing to the building of national cultural identity.

Illustrative image.

During my high school years, I read *Without a Family* by the French writer Hector Malot in the small attic of the house where I was born and raised in a rural area where every child longed for a daily meal of meat and fish and dreamed of their mother's promise to take them to the town. Hanoi, the capital, seemed like a very distant place.

Rémi's long and arduous adventure is a story of endless sadness and loneliness. In a society where right and wrong are blurred, the poor boy pays a heavy price for the genuine and deceptive warmth of family. The absence of a family is the greatest sorrow and pain a person can experience. Children in poor rural areas like ours are still angels, blessed with happiness and good fortune.

No matter who you are on this vast earth, you surely reserve a place (whether large or small) in your heart for "family." Perhaps it is because of this shared, sacred value of humanity that on September 20, 1993, the United Nations General Assembly decided to designate May 15th of each year as International Family Day. In many countries, International Family Day is a source of inspiration for a series of events to raise awareness about the family. Policies that prioritize the family can contribute to the realization of the Millennium Development Goals and ensure the health and happiness of every individual.

Nevertheless, these collective efforts today have not been able to encompass everything. In some parts of the world , for many people, family values ​​remain a luxury. Earlier this year, at a meeting, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated that the conflict in the Gaza Strip has left more than 17,000 children orphaned or separated from their families. That number is still rising. Some children don't even have the energy to instinctively cry. How many more will suffer the same fate as Rémi – a life straight out of a novel? This remains a constant concern and anguish for global leaders and human rights organizations worldwide.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama once wrote: “My inspiration comes from the love every parent has for their children. I also receive that inspiration from my own children; they warm my heart and fill it with love. They make me want to work to improve the world, even if only a little. More than anything, my children make me a better person.” Not a doctrine, nor a belief, but the sacred values ​​of family are of immense significance, determining happiness, shaping the path and character of each individual.

In Vietnam, through generations, the family has been formed and developed with beautiful standards, contributing to the building of national cultural identity. From infancy, Vietnamese children are immersed in songs like "Oh gourd, have pity on the pumpkin," "Homeland is a cluster of sweet starfruit," "A father's love is like Mount Thai Son,"... so that on every step of life, the baggage that a Vietnamese child carries is "the merits of father, the kindness of mother, the gratitude to teacher," kindness, tolerance, sharing, and mutual support, as well as love for family, neighborhood, homeland, and country.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life, the simple lyrics of the song "Going Home" (by Den Vau) are filled with so much emotion:

The way home is through our hearts.

Regardless of sun or rain, near or far

The Seven Eights bring fame

Home is always waiting for me.

The way home is through our hearts.

Even if countless miles pass by

Things change over time.

Home is always home.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/gia-dinh-mot-goc-thieng-lieng-271479.html