Father's love letters

My father was a simple, honest farmer, spending his days toiling in the fields. He never complained, and I never saw him shed a tear. He seemed to suppress all the hardships and difficulties to ensure everything was done properly. He always showed his love and care for the women in the family in a very special way – through handwritten letters that sometimes made me envious.

My father's love for my mother seems ageless, because whenever she's with him, she always feels comforted. Twenty-five years ago, the day my father left his three young children with my mother in their hometown to head south in search of more income, those were also the months when the four of us relied on each other in our tiled house. During stormy days, the rain would leak in, and in the middle of the night, my mother would bring out basins to catch the rainwater so my sisters and I could sleep soundly.

Back then, communication methods and equipment weren't as developed as they are now. Parents would express their love through handwritten letters. Every time the postman stood at the gate, the four of us would eat dinner early that evening to read my father's letter. On the creaky bamboo bed, I would lie sprawled on my mother's lap, while my two older sisters read his heartfelt words under the flickering light of an incandescent bulb. Whether the letter was long or short, the first sentence my father sent was always: "My dear wife and children, I miss you all!...". That scene is vividly etched in my memory.

After receiving the letter, my mother let me write a few lines, albeit somewhat clumsily, to write a letter to my father. Though the years have faded, I still remember those words vividly: “The weather there is hot and sunny, Dad, please take care of your health. Don’t worry, Mom and the four of us are still healthy, and the rice harvest this year is bountiful. My eldest sister just passed her high school entrance exam, and I’m a top student, Dad, remember to buy me a present…”

Time flew by, and when my father returned home, the family was overjoyed. I lugged his backpack into the house, and he quickly took out the cute little toy car I had always longed for. Among the new clothes for my two sisters and the scarf for my mother were letters he had carefully kept in a wooden box. The words I had written so recently were now in my hands. Turning the pages, I noticed some of the writing was smudged. My father said calmly, "The rain got on them, they got wet..." I laughed, "You're so careless, Dad..." My mother, with tears in her eyes, hurried into her room. Back then, I was naive and didn't fully understand everything. But now, I realize how much my father had been hiding his tears.

In his youth, my father loved my mother so much, and in middle age, he shared that love with my two older sisters. And now, with his hair turning gray, the head of the family embraces his granddaughter, whom he cherishes like a princess. Through each stage of his life, despite the wrinkles that accumulate and the twists and turns of life, my father's love remains as fresh as it was in his twenties.

Someone once said, "No matter what, a father is still a father, and we must love and cherish him." I can go to places my father has never been, eat foods he's never tried, but to be who I am today, he has always been a strong source of emotional support. Love is a whole process encapsulated in every action and gesture, no matter how small. Because as long as my father is alive, my life has a place to rely on; when he's gone, all the ups and downs of life leave only the path home.

As June arrives, beneath the lush green trellis of gourds, a house still stands, listening to the sun and rain, and letters silently sow the seeds of memories.

Hello, dear viewers! Season 4, themed "Father," officially launches on December 27, 2024, across four media platforms and digital infrastructures of Binh Phuoc Radio and Television and Newspaper (BPTV), promising to bring to the public the wonderful values of sacred and beautiful fatherly love.
Please send your touching stories about fathers to BPTV by writing articles, personal reflections, poems, essays, video clips, songs (with audio recordings), etc., via email to chaonheyeuthuongbptv@gmail.com, Editorial Secretariat, Binh Phuoc Radio and Television and Newspaper Station, 228 Tran Hung Dao Street, Tan Phu Ward, Dong Xoai City, Binh Phuoc Province, phone number: 0271.3870403. The deadline for submissions is August 30, 2025.
High-quality articles will be published and shared widely, with payment for their contributions, and prizes will be awarded upon completion of the project, including one grand prize and ten outstanding prizes.
Let's continue writing the story of fathers with "Hello, My Love" Season 4, so that stories about fathers can spread and touch everyone's hearts!

Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/19/173917/nhung-canh-thu-tinh-cha