Elderly people keep the family fire burning

Keep traditional values

For many years, the people of La Ngoai village, Ngu Hung commune (Thanh Mien) have always respected and learned from the family of Mr. Nguyen Xuan Vang and Mrs. Hoang Thi Sao because this is a typical family in building a model cultural family, harmonious, happy and progressive.

Mr. Vang's family has 4 children, 3 of whom are masters, 1 of whom is a specialist doctor, and all work in the education sector. His daughters-in-law and sons-in-law all have university degrees or higher. Of his 7 grandchildren, one is studying for a master's degree, 2 are university students, and those in high school are all excellent students.

As retired teachers, both Mr. Vang and Mrs. Sao remind themselves to live exemplary lives, in harmony with their siblings and relatives, to set an example for their children and grandchildren to follow. They also play a good role in harmonizing family relationships, while educating their children and grandchildren to respect family traditions and each other. While talking, Mr. Vang recited some verses of poetry to us: “A tree has roots to grow green branches/ Water has a source to become a wide sea and a deep river/ Where do people come from/ First there are ancestors, then there is us”.

Mr. Vang said that his children and grandchildren all know the above verses by heart and always follow the good traditions of the nation such as "when drinking water, remember its source", "when the elders tell, the youngers listen", "when the elder sister falls, the younger sister helps her up"...

“I always teach my children and grandchildren to be humble, modest, not jealous, to forgive, to overlook each other’s mistakes and move towards good things. Especially to get along with each other. Therefore, whether in a small or large family, my children all know how to build a warm, loving, polite, and respectful family towards grandparents, parents, and the elderly,” said Mr. Vang.

The family of Mrs. Pham Thi Chuyen and Mr. Tran Van Tien is one of the few “four-generation” families in Tan Binh Ward (Hai Duong City). Although four generations live together in one house, their family is always warm and filled with laughter.

Although she had to take care of her sick mother, Ms. Chuyen never complained about this. “When I was young, there were several years when I had no job and had to go home to live with my in-laws. However, they never spoke harshly to me but always encouraged me to be cheerful and strive to improve. For decades as a daughter-in-law, she always loved me like her own daughter. Her affection, love and encouragement helped me overcome many difficulties in life,” Ms. Chuyen shared.

Spiritual pillar

For each family, the elderly are also important spiritual pillars. “Not living with our parents, we all look forward to returning to our hometown to be with them on weekends or holidays. Even though we are in our 30s and 40s, we can still act like we did when we were children; we can ask our mothers to cook us our favorite dishes. Our children also get to listen to their grandparents teach them valuable life lessons and experiences through folk tales, riddles, folk songs, and proverbs…”, said Ms. Tran Ngoc Dung in Ngoc Chau (Hai Duong City).

For Mr. Pham The Chinh in Kien Quoc commune (Ninh Giang), his grandparents and parents are like "psychologists" who help him solve problems whenever he encounters difficulties. Mr. Chinh shared: "Every time I face important decisions in life, I ask for my grandparents' and parents' opinions. My grandparents and parents often carefully analyze the pros and cons, benefits and disadvantages, and let me decide. From their analysis and guidance, my grandparents and parents have helped me make appropriate choices."

Mr. Pham Quang San, Deputy Head of the Provincial Elderly Association, said that the elderly are an important force contributing to building happy families. Because the elderly are the ones who have accumulated a lot of valuable cultural assets, national traditions, production experience, ethics, and lifestyle to pass on to the next generations. At the same time, the elderly are also prestigious people in the family, clan, as grandparents, fathers, and mothers, so they have the responsibility to educate and teach their children. Many elderly families are shining examples, recognized by the community for building harmonious, happy, and progressive families. The elderly are also shining examples in encouraging their children and grandchildren to comply with the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws, local conventions and covenants; building a cultural life, family, clan learning...

According to Mr. San, in recent years, the movement “Exemplary grandparents and parents, loyal children and filial grandchildren” has been increasingly widespread in the province. The elderly are the core force in implementing this movement. “Only the exemplary role of grandparents and parents can set a good example for children and grandchildren to be more aware of their roles and responsibilities in the family and society,” said Mr. San.