The Mountains Sing

by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

“The challenges faced by Vietnamese people throughout history are as tall as the tallest mountains. If you stand too close, you won’t be able to see their peaks. Once you step away from the currents of life, you will have the full view. . . .”

Somehow I was sure that if people were willing to read each other, and see the light of other cultures, there would be no war on earth.

Being a mother is never easy, though. It’s about failing, learning, and then failing again.

I realized that whenever humans failed us, it was nature who could help save us.

Fire proves gold, adversity proves men.

Time and illnesses consumed us, like flames burning away these pieces of wood. But it didn’t matter how long or short we lived. It mattered more how much light we were able to shed on those we loved and how many people we touched with our compassion.

“If you bear grudges, you’re the one who’ll have to bear the burden of sorrow.”