Part 2: The "Keepers of the Flame" for Homes

(To be continued)

Family - the place where traditional values ​​are preserved.

Some families are built on solid material foundations. But there are also homes constructed from silent sacrifices, from sleepless nights, and the quiet tears of wives and mothers – the "builders of homes" who ensure their husbands and children succeed and become useful members of society and their homeland. Many families in the province have such women; these women are still "keeping the flame" of their homes burning every day with extraordinary resilience and hearts full of love.

Mrs. Huynh Thi Thang and her husband worked various jobs to raise their children and actively participated in social work.

Silently overcoming all difficulties.

In her spacious house near Giao Long Industrial Park, Mrs. Huynh Thi Thang (born in 1969) from Giao Long commune still keeps the family's expense ledger from many years ago. The pages, faded with time, contain the arduous journey of a mother who was determined to sacrifice everything so her children could receive a proper education.

Born into a family of nine siblings, due to difficult circumstances, Ms. Thang had to drop out of school before finishing junior high. The regret of her unfinished education haunted her for many years and became the driving force behind her determination to give her children a good education. In the early years of her marriage, her and her husband's life was extremely difficult. They lived in an old communal apartment and worked various jobs to make ends meet. When the government reclaimed land for industrial development, the family received compensation money that many at the time saw as a life-changing opportunity.

Many people advised the couple to buy more land and accumulate assets. But Mrs. Thang chose a different path. "I told my husband, let's put it in the bank and use the interest to support our children's education. Land can be reclaimed, but our children's education won't wait for us," Mrs. Thang recalled.

It was a pivotal decision for the family. There were difficult times, with the children's tuition fees piling up, and she had to pawn the gold she had saved up over many years. "The greatest asset of parents is not land or money, but the future of their children," Mrs. Thang said. Today, seeing her children grown up and with stable jobs, she understands that those times she pawned the gold were essentially "buying" knowledge and a future for them.

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The life of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hai Yen, from Luong Phu commune, is also a long story of self-sacrifice. In the late 1980s, her family's life was extremely difficult. Her husband worked far away in the army, and his meager salary was insufficient to support the family. She single-handedly cared for her elderly mother-in-law and raised three young children in a dilapidated thatched house. There were days when there was only half a can of rice left for the whole family of five. During the rainy season, the roof leaked everywhere, and she and her children had to use buckets to catch water in the middle of the night. Despite these hardships, she never once considered letting her husband leave the army and return home.

Ms. Hai Yen recounted, "Back then, I thought it was better to endure a little hardship myself, as long as he could focus on his work and our children would have a better future. That would make me happy." This silent sacrifice became the foundation that helped the family overcome the most difficult period. Today, her children are all grown up and successful.

Rising above adversity through perseverance.

While the stories of Mrs. Thang or Mrs. Yen exemplify the sacrifices made in marriage, the life of Mrs. Vo Thi Ngoc Lieu, residing in Phu Khuong ward, is a testament to the resilience of a single mother overcoming adversity. After the breakdown of her marriage, she was left with only two gold rings and two young children who needed nurturing and education.

Refusing to surrender to fate, Mrs. Lieu mortgaged her meager gold to raise capital for her business. The days working at the sugar mill were a series of arduous hardships. There were nights she stayed awake, accompanying the boats to collect sugarcane. There were perilous journeys in the dead of night on the river. But what made this woman most proud wasn't the money she earned, but the fact that her children grew up surrounded by love and kindness.

She happily shared: “Heaven has not let me down; both of my children are excellent students and successful. My eldest child currently owns a very large refrigeration business in Canada. My younger child, after graduating from university with a degree in economics and an international master's degree, is now working at a bank and teaching postgraduate courses in Ho Chi Minh City,” Ms. Lieu recounted.

Today, with the rapid development of society, many family values ​​are facing new challenges. Work pressure, the economic demands, and the impact of social media mean that many families have less time for each other than before. Numerous marriages break down due to a lack of sharing. Many children grow up in materially comfortable conditions but lack the attention and care of their parents.

In reality, strong families are not those without difficulties, conflicts, or setbacks. What makes the difference is how they face those challenges. It's the sacrifice of wives so their husbands can focus on their work. It's mothers willing to sell assets, pawn gold, and stay up all night to secure their children's future. It's women who dare to rise above setbacks to continue supporting their children's growth… These simple stories are contributing to the beauty of Vietnamese families in the modern era.

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Text and photos: CAM TRUC

Source: https://baovinhlong.com.vn/xa-hoi/202606/gia-dinh-noi-gin-giu-nhung-gia-tri-truyen-thong-ky-2-nguoi-giu-lua-cho-nhung-to-am-2e84293/