Illustration by Trịnh Lập

By Nguyễn Mỹ Hà

A mother's love is often talked about, but a child's longing for their mother can also touch millions of hearts.

The touching story of 15-year-old Hoàng Văn Quyết cycling 350km from his home in Bắc Quang District in Hà Giang Province to Hải Phòng City is but one example.

"I knew the road would be long, but I missed my mother so much, I wanted to see her," Quyết reportedly told police in Dương Kinh District of Hải Phòng. Quyết lives with his father at home, while his mother works in the port city, but he didn't tell his father what he was going to do. 

Soon after the teenager left home on June 23 he made it to Phú Thọ Province, fell asleep by the road and got both his bicycle and his only backpack with VNĐ100,000 inside stolen. In the next chapter of his adventure, he walked on foot for 50km from Hải Dương to Hải Phòng  before he was spotted by local police on patrol near Võ Nguyên Giáp bridge. 

Needless to say, his mother was overjoyed to be reunited with her son, who was fed and given a new backpack and bicycle by the Dương Kinh District police. 

The misadventure ended happily for the very lucky teenage boy.

Speaking of love for one's mother, July 1 would have been the 60th birthday of late Princess Diana and her two sons reunited to pay tribute to their mother by unveiling her new statue. 

The young princes lost their mother when they were still teenagers. They may have moved on, grown up and have families of their own, but the agony is still there. 

It's common now to talk about mental health and seeking help. But who on earth could help you overcome such an immense loss so early in life?

To be honest, losing a loving parent will always be unexpected and too sudden, too soon. 

Vietnamese netizens, who are usually argumentative about everything from politics to the environment, seem to be unanimous when it comes to the 'Sussexit'. 

A Vietnamese saying goes, "Nuôi con mới hiểu lòng cha mẹ", meaning, "Only when you raise your own child, will you understand your parents' heart and soul."

Most teenagers go through a rebellious period before maturing. But if you did not rebel during your youth, then you will later in life, but that process may not be part of growing up and could be more disastrous. 

Teenagers feel out of place, clumsy and that no one, especially their parents, understands them. Parents can be judgemental, speak harshly and punish teens for things that aren't always their fault.

Some of us decided to rebel against them, some swallowed our pride and left things unsaid, but some decided to talk it over with our parents. Good communication can be like looking for one end of a tangled wool roll, slowly talking away misunderstanding and relieving ourselves from burdens that grow to become heavier over time until we cannot bear them.

It's a reality that when you rebel against your upbringing, your background, your family conditions, the chances are you'll escape your comfort zone, grow up and mature. It's always good to rebel against a difficult situation, against hardship and challenges.

But if you're born in wealth and revel against it, you may risk your wellbeing, your privileges and be termed ungrateful. 

In the case of the 'Sussexit', the things Harry and Meghan said to the media were seen as devastating and hurtful to their family. 

Just stop a minute and think, what would Harry and Meghan think if their little children grow up in 30 years and say they resent their parents for cutting them off from their grandparents and cousins, from the family with privileges and duties, traditions and limitations, that they don't feel they belong to?

Paying tribute to their deceased mother may not heal old wounds, but could even make her children relive the tragedy. Each would want to prove who loved mother most, but if their mother had still been alive, she would want to see them be friendly and loving toward each other, like in the good old days. 

Love can be seen in the most earnest and simple way, like the young Quyết, who set out to bicycle to his mother, simply because he missed her so much. VNS