City neighbors

The morning sky was clear. The leaves rustled in the cool breeze. In the rooftop garden of the apartment building, the gardener, a recently retired uncle, handed me a bag of freshly picked cowslip flowers: "They're delicious boiled or stir-fried with garlic, remember to eat them right away while they're fresh, they're organic vegetables!"

It's the vegetable garden that I stop to admire every day while walking on the rooftop. The green plants growing in the heart of the city fill me with an indescribable feeling of compassion. They don't grow naturally on the ground, where there's a readily available source of nutrients from Mother Earth, but instead struggle under the scorching sun of the concrete structure at a towering height. Yet, they still strive to nourish their leaves, branches, flowers, and fruit, so just looking at them evokes a feeling of tenderness. That's why, receiving those jasmine flowers from my neighbor, I felt a surge of gratitude. Grateful for the plants, grateful for the person who cultivated and cared for them. I also receive much genuine affection from my neighbors in this apartment building in the heart of the city.

They say that only in the countryside is there true community spirit. And that's true, because most city dwellers come from all over the country. Partly because they don't know anyone, and partly because they're too busy with work. Someone said that a day in the city is much shorter than in the countryside. I agree. It's shorter because everyone is busy working from early morning until late afternoon. Day after day, year after year, there's no rest during the seasons, like the rice farmers in my hometown. The days are so short that sometimes there isn't even enough time for oneself, let alone for other things.

I've lived in this apartment building for 10 years. After the initial hectic period of work, I now have time to reflect, observe more, and feel more. I've realized that behind those silently closed doors, the doors of human kindness remain wide open. My neighbors are a young couple. Every weekend they close their doors and go back to their hometown in Tien Giang . When they return, they always bring back heavy bags of fruit, giving some to everyone as a token of their goodwill. One time, when they couldn't get through to my door, they hung a sign outside; and it wasn't until the following month that I finally met them downstairs in the parking garage to thank them. Or right above me is Ms. Linh, a retired teacher, who is very considerate of the other residents. Once, around 9 PM, I had just gotten home from work when I heard a knock on my door. She came down to my apartment just to remind me: "The water will be cut off until tomorrow morning, so hurry up and shower and stock up on water!" Then, at other times, someone would remind us that they were collecting trash early that day, so we should bring it out so we don't miss the deadline tomorrow… In this way, these small things become the glue that binds people together in this place. Our ancestors' saying, "It's better to have close neighbors than distant relatives," is certainly true. Those who live far from home and loved ones understand this even more. Therefore, it's good to have connections with those around us, to help each other in urgent situations. Instead of "closing ourselves off," let's be more open and sincere with everyone.

Giving is receiving. The most obvious thing we receive in return is the warmth of human kindness, which makes life seem beautiful!

ANH HUONG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/hang-xom-thanh-thi-post813986.html