Where human kindness remains ever warm.

"Are you home? I'd like to stop by and pick up some things. The bus is leaving early this afternoon."

After ending the call with my friend, I immediately turned to check one last time the bags of clothes that had been sorted into adult and children's categories. There were also a few essential items that were easy to transport and could be used immediately. These past few days, following the news about the floods in Central Vietnam, my heart ached. Just thinking about the people struggling against the floods, enduring hunger and cold, surely not only me but every Vietnamese citizen feels a pang of sadness.

I am also a native of Central Vietnam, a region that experiences several major storms and minor floods each year, but the people of my hometown remain optimistic after the losses, because as long as they strive, there is still a future.

I still vividly remember Typhoon No. 5 when I was a child. In my innocent memory, everything around me was water, and my parents quickly gathered our belongings, books, and clothes and hoisted them onto the roof. Back then, in my hometown, every family built a loft to store things during the rainy season and floods. Calling it a loft sounds fancy, but it was really just a few sturdy wooden beams braced together.

My hometown experiences the rainy season and storms every year, a kind of "specialty" of nature that no one wants. For us, the joy was that our clothes and books wouldn't get wet or be swept away by the floods. The greatest happiness was when the whole family was still together, sharing handfuls of mashed potatoes after the storm had passed. Happiness was also when the villagers worked together to clean up and rebuild their homes, then joked together to forget their poverty. In recent years, the storms have become even more severe. Watching the news, I see water flooding up to the rooftops. For someone like me who has lived through storms and floods, that scene is truly heartbreaking.

I left my hometown to live and work in another land, but my homeland is where the joys and sorrows of my childhood are preserved and hidden. It is also the place that loves, protects, and shelters me and so many other people from my hometown. Humans find it difficult to conquer nature, but they always know how to love and support each other to alleviate the pain and loss caused by nature.

I feel truly happy and fortunate to have been born in Vietnam, a land shaped like the letter S. Although the country still faces many difficulties, the spirit of solidarity and mutual support has become a precious tradition of the nation. Undoubtedly, after the floods subside, difficulties will pile up again, but I believe that with the resilient spirit of the people in Central Vietnam, coupled with the practical support policies of the Party and State, and the love and care of people nationwide, the people will soon be able to stabilize their lives.

Convoys of relief vehicles from all over the country continue to arrive day and night, carrying the heartfelt sentiments of countless Vietnamese people towards our beloved Central Vietnam. I can only contribute a small amount of essential supplies, hoping that this small gesture will help warm the hearts of our compatriots.

Every time I hear the song "With red blood and yellow skin, I am Vietnamese, today the sea and sky unite the North, Central, and South...", I feel a surge of pride in my eyes. My compatriots in Central Vietnam will once again stand strong, overcoming all difficulties to continue building their lives, because they always have the Party, the State, and millions of Vietnamese hearts working together. And for me, happiness lies in empathy and sharing, even in the smallest things.

Le Thi Nam Phuong

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/van-hoa/chao-nhe-yeu-thuong/202512/noi-tinh-nguoi-am-mai-ee81623/