Inspiring Gratitude in Young People

Let’s take a quiz at Bac Lieu University with the question: “What is the key word for these historic April days, in your opinion?”. I got the answer: “Sacrifice, Peace and Gratitude”. You have caught the news. In programs everywhere preparing for the special and solemn event - the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and the reunification of the country - those messages are very clear!

Young heroes

It is most heroic, touching and deeply grateful for each person today when we look back at the sacrifices of many heroes who were still very young. “There are people who fought with all their might for peace, but what peace is like, they will never know. They were born when the country was at war, and they died when the country was still at war. They fought for their ideals, for the belief that the country would be independent and free. Today, when you ask a patriotic Vietnamese person if, when the country needed them, would you fight, the answer must be yes! Because we know how beautiful peace, independence, and freedom are. But they don’t know! Forever grateful to the heroes and martyrs who sacrificed for the Fatherland”. Are you speechless, choked up when reading these lines? If you truly understand the sacrifice and value of peace, then let our gratitude be transformed into a stick of incense spreading throughout the country, or a fragrant flower offered to the graves of the martyrs, and to the piles of bones still scattered somewhere in this country. There are still many souls who have not returned to their loved ones!

50 years ago, the war ended! The country ended the division between North and South, there was no longer the scene of Hien Luong Bridge echoing across the Thach Han River with heartbreaking calls. But ahead of the joy of victory, there was blood, tears, and the remains of young heroes, brothers and sisters who left without having time to say goodbye to their loved ones, left with hastily written handwritten letters written on their backpacks, the words blurred with tears "Mom, I will return when we win"...

Those young heroes have passed away without ever fully imagining the happiness of living in peace. Because that happiness forever stops at just aspiration!

That aspiration became a reality for the next generations. Children were born in peace, grew up without fear of gunshots, and only slept soundly with their mother's sweet lullabies and the chirping of birds in the yard. Then the children went to school innocently and the family gathered around the dinner table in each warm house.

Students of Vo Thi Sau Secondary School (Bac Lieu City) form the "Vietnam Country" team. Photo: HT

Gratitude in action

“Patriotism is not always about holding a gun, sometimes it is just about not forgetting history, not forgetting the culture of our ancestors”. Yes! We must not forget, we must remember to be grateful and live truly kindly with kind actions!

Gratitude is not only through words, but also through actions. By living kindly, honestly, and with responsibility to society and to the country. A young person, after watching the movie “Tunnel: Sun in the Dark” by director Bui Thac Chuyen, came home and whispered to his mother: “After watching the movie, I suddenly feel so small!”. That was when he deeply realized the meaning of sacrifice and dedication, so he concluded that up to now, he himself had not done anything for the Fatherland. Just having the right perception will nurture positive thoughts to have the right actions.

We believe that the young generation will have many "heroic warriors" of the new era, who will, in their own way, train their strength and talents to build their homeland and country, to live up to the sacred sacrifices of the young heroes in the glorious history of the nation.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Tinh - Principal of Nguyen Thi Dinh Primary School (Bac Lieu City), when seeing a movie show "Tunnel: Sun in the Dark" attracting all young audiences, expressed: "I am very happy to see young people interested in the history of the nation's struggle, they came here to watch the movie in large numbers". Among those young people, there was a group of students from class 11T, Bac Lieu High School for the Gifted who booked tickets to watch the movie right from the first shows with the purpose of understanding more about history and war. And Nguyen Duy - student of class 16DNV, Bac Lieu University, when watching the movie, shared: "Thanks to revolutionary war movies, we young people understand more clearly the nature of war, the price of peace and the sacredness of sacrifice. Understanding history helps us love our homeland, our country and live more worthily".

During these historic April days, each young person - the generation that enjoyed the warmth and happiness of the peaceful era, should take the time to review historical documentary footage that is being shared on all social networking sites, or take a trip with friends and relatives to visit historical sites such as Con Dao prison, Phu Quoc prison, Cu Chi tunnels... and many other places associated with fierce battles in exchange for today's "Independence - Freedom - Happiness".

Understanding and respecting history, sympathizing with sacrifices to love the Fatherland and compatriots more, like the saying "Love the Fatherland, love compatriots" - the first of the 5 things Uncle Ho taught that we have known by heart since elementary school.

CAM THUY

Source: https://www.baobaclieu.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/khoi-goi-long-biet-on-trong-gioi-tre-100203.html