Small things give us great happiness

My husband and I leisurely cycled around the lake, not saying much, just listening to the sound of the wheels rolling on the small path, listening to each other's breathing in the wind, listening to our hearts beat slowly and peacefully. After more than an hour, we chose a stone bench by the lake to rest. Quietly watching the scenery, breathing in the cool breeze, then returning together in the hazy afternoon.

At the turn into the house, as usual, my husband cycled ahead, quickly parked his bike neatly in the corner, then turned back and greeted:

- Give me the car, I'll keep it for you! C

Without waiting for me to answer, he gently took the bike from my hands, like a habit that didn’t need to be said. That quiet gentleness suddenly softened my heart, making it extremely warm. We walked into the house together. My husband opened the refrigerator, took out a few bags of groceries, and went into the kitchen:

- I'll prepare the things, we'll cook later. Go upstairs and turn on the hot water, we'll take a bath.

I went upstairs, turned on the water heater, then went back downstairs to help my husband prepare dinner. He washed vegetables, I chopped onions, boiled vegetables, and braised fish. His every move was measured and thoughtful, like a long-time companion who understood his wife to the core.

- Do you need any other help?

- Come on, go take a shower, the water is warm.

- Okay, then I'll go take a shower first!

A moment later, my husband came down, his hair still dripping with water, smiling gently:

- Is there anything else I can do for you? Go take a shower and come down so we can eat.

I went upstairs to take a shower. When I came down, everything was neatly arranged: a neat dinner tray, hot food, two glasses of wine shimmering under the warm yellow light. We always had wine at home. Whenever we ran out, my daughter would send some to her parents as a loving message from afar.

My husband raised his glass of wine and gave it to me:

- Come on, let's clink glasses!

The sound of glasses clinking together echoed in the small kitchen, like a gentle melody to warm up the evening. No need for delicacies, just that look, that smile, and the familiar “bye baby” was enough to make me feel filled with happiness.

After dinner, the husband quickly said:

- Put the remaining food in the fridge and I'll wash the dishes!

Before I could say anything, he had already carried the whole tray to the sink. I quickly said:

- Leave it there, let me wash it!

- You worked hard cooking, I have to wash the dishes!

- Husband and wife, cook some simple dishes, nothing difficult!

- I told you, you cook and I wash the dishes!

Then my husband turned back, looked at me and smiled brightly, his eyes sparkling:

- Do you know why I always do the dishes?

Before I could answer, he continued:

- I can wash the dishes in a few minutes. But what I want… is to make you happy. Right?

My husband seemed to see through my heart. I blushed and smiled lightly. My husband smiled even brighter:

- I see it in your eyes and smile. See, I just did a small thing, but it brought you great happiness!

My husband winked mischievously. I was silent, my heart pounding. That sentence made the space seem wider, time seemed to slow down.

I remember the day my husband was about to retire, my daughter whispered:

“Mom, prepare yourself. Dad has been a boss for so many years. Now that he's retired, he'll get bored and irritable easily.”

Yet my husband integrated surprisingly quickly. No grumpiness, no nagging, he became a gentle, patient companion, wholeheartedly helping me build this small family.

I cleaned the dining table, wiped the stovetop, and arranged the chairs neatly. My husband had just finished washing the dishes and said gently:

- Let's go have some tea!

We returned to the tea table, where there was a vase of red roses, a gift my husband had bought me a few days ago. The flowers were still fresh, their fragrance wafting in the air.

- This flower has been blooming for more than a week but it is still fragrant.

- The flowers you bought will stay fresh forever and never wither!

- As for me… what flowers stay fresh forever?

- Yes, the flowers I bought more than forty years ago are still fresh!

My husband glanced at me with a loving smile, raised his index finger and gently touched my forehead. I burst out laughing, my heart skipped a beat. Wine, fragrant tea, my husband's affectionate gaze, all blended into a strangely peaceful evening. Eyes met, passionate gazes, no words could describe the overflowing emotions. I wondered: is happiness sometimes just simple things like that? A small word of concern, a loving look, a gentle action, small enough to warm the soul...

We cleared the tea table, turned off the lights, and walked slowly upstairs. Each step of the stairs seemed to take us back to the old days, where that hand was always ready to support us when we were tired, that shoulder was always quietly protecting us through the storms of everyday life.

The door closed. There was no more sound of traffic outside, only the sound of my heart beating with love.

Lying next to each other, the husband pulled the blanket over both of them and softly said:

- Go to sleep. Let's cycle around the lake again tomorrow.

I smiled and nodded. No need for any big promises, just that, a simple word, a familiar thing repeated tomorrow, is enough to make my heart feel at peace. Because happiness is not something far away. Happiness is sometimes just a handshake at sunset, a trivial daily saying, a small gesture filled with love. It is the small things repeated in life, but it nurtures a lasting, gentle, deep love.

Small things… but give us great happiness!

Nguyen Thi Bich Vuong

Source: https://baohungyen.vn/viec-nho-cho-ta-hanh-phuc-lon-3187336.html