Dây Chuyền Vàng Cho Khoảnh Khắc Riêng Tư Nàng nới lỏng sợi dây chuyền vàngđang nằm trên cổ áo —một sợi dây mảnhđược tặng trong ngày cưới. Nhưng tay nàng dừng lại ở đólâu hơn cần thiết,như thể đang tự hỏiliệu có nên trao cho hắn không? Người lính gác không nhìn vào mặt nàng.Nàng…
Gói Xôi Giữ Trọn Lời Thề Đâu phải chỉ là gói xôi.Đó là sự sốngnén lại trong nắm cơm còn ấm,gói bằng lá chuối,rắc chút muốiđể chịu đường xa —như chính chị phải đi. Trong chiếc rổ nhỏ:chút đường cát,vài con cá khô,mấy củ khoai lang,chút cà phê —những món xa xỉđến lính gác cũng…
The Gold Necklace—For a Private Moment She loosened the gold necklaceresting at her collar—a thin line of goldgiven on her wedding day. Her fingers paused therea moment longer than needed,as if askingwhether it was time. The guard did not look at her face. She placed the chain in his hand.He weighed it—not as memory,but as…
A Packet of Xôi —A Promise Kept It was never just a packet of xôi.It was life itself,compressed into a handful of warm rice,wrapped in banana leaves,sprinkled with a pinch of saltto endure the long road —just like her. Inside the small basket: a little sugar,a few dried fish,sweet potatoes,a bit of coffee —luxuries so…
DAY 108WASHINGTON, D.C.February 10, 2026 Visits:• National United Methodist Church• American University’s Bender Arena• Washington National Cathedral• Embassy Row• George Washington University This is the daythe monks enter the nation’s capital. They walk past monuments,museums,embassies,and universities —their presence a quiet riverflowing through the heart of power. At the National United Methodist Church,they chant blessings. At…
DAY 1BURLESON, TEXASOctober 26, 2025 Kickoff Ceremony at Hương Đạo Vipassana Bhavana CenterMidday alms in Fort Worth. The morning air is cool,the sky pale with the first light of autumn. At Hương Đạo Vipassana Bhavana Center,monks gather in saffron robes,their palms pressed together,their breaths steady. Families fill the courtyard—Vietnamese, Lao, Thai, Cambodian, American—a tapestry…
MẸ — THE MOTHERS OF THE LANDTHE MATERNAL VOICES Governments rise and fall in a single day.But a mother never stops counting her children. Vietnam has long spokenof one Mother. She is Mother Vietnam,the quiet motherwho gathers every childunder the same sky. But like many old families of the land,the household of Father Vietnamwas never…
THE DAY THE WAR ENDED (April 30, 1975) On April 30, 1975,the war ended. One half of the country cried.The other half clapped in victory. The victors declared the country united,but many hearts in Saigonbroke on that dayand scattered from rivers to the sea. The war ended —but the streets of Saigon were restless. The…
CHAPTER 14WELCOME TO OUR COUNTRY! Americans fought the war in Vietnam to halt communism. But a Marine’s kindness won my heart. One night, a customer said something with grace, As I carved roast beef at a steady pace. After he left, the words came through, “Welcome to our country,” unexpectedly. Elated, I ran to his…
CHAPTER 1 THE NIGHT WE LEFT SAIGON Leaving or staying — both require courage. I fled my country in 1975, A young ARVN sailor of twenty-five. Decades later, now you know my age; My remaining life is like an old silkworm’s fate. On that fateful night of April 29, 1975, We sneaked out of Saigon…
