* A reflection for the "The Book I Love" column

Some books do not teach us how to succeed or become great, but gently remind us to live more kindly each day. "If you can love, then love" by author Hong Hai is one such work. Amidst life's complexities, the book is like a soft whisper, reminding us to always keep faith in goodness and humanity in our hearts, and to realize that love is always the most beautiful thing in life.

The book came to me not by chance, but as a beautiful destiny. On a spring morning in 2018, a person I cherished gave it to me. From that moment, the simple writings of author Hong Hai quietly sowed seeds of kindness, love, and beautiful reflections on humanity in my heart, and they continue to silently blossom even today.

What impressed me most about the book is how author Hong Hai, with an "earthly" yet loving perspective, with feet that "know how to pause" before unfortunate lives, and with a "caring" heart, diligently "listens" to stories that seem ordinary but contain immense resilience and human compassion. I still believe that as long as there are people in this world who need love, affection, and empathy, the author will continue to find countless things to love and share, a well that life can draw from endlessly.

One story is about a poor motorbike taxi driver living a difficult life but possessing a generous heart. Despite the burden of two children affected by Agent Orange and a wife at home caring for them while embroidering cross-stitch for a few dong, he still quietly thinks of others in the smallest ways. Even for a few bruised guavas that were hard to sell, he chose to buy them, not wanting the vendor to incur a loss.

Another story tells of a young lottery ticket seller from Phu Yen who had to quit school early for survival, struggling to sell tickets in TP HCM. All the money he earned was sent home to cover school fees for his two younger siblings. Yet, when the author gave him a new shirt, he asked for one more for his friend, an orphaned boy who had just had a million dong in lottery tickets stolen.

Then there is the image of a poor, homeless woman, toiling daily for food, yet still saving money to buy one beautiful bouquet of flowers to bid farewell to a deceased friend in similar circumstances. She hoped her friend in the afterlife would feel warmth: "I want to place some flowers so it feels less cold".

The cover of "If you can love, then love", published by Literature Publishing House in 2020. *Photo: Neta Books*

Among the lives depicted in "If you can love, then love", the story of little Chi left me silent for a long time. It was about a poor farming family in Ben Tre who brought their daughter to the Cancer Hospital for treatment, and the author helped them during their most difficult time. Although Chi could not overcome her illness, what remained was not sadness, but how love continued to extend. Many years later, when their lives were less difficult, the family tried to return the money they had received. The author did not accept it, instead asking them to pass that love on to other people in need.

Then that same family returned to the hospital years later to share with poor patients undergoing treatment. Reading this, my nose stung. It turns out that kindness is never lost; it is only silently passed from one person to another. A seed of love, sown with sincerity, blossoms over the years into flowers of compassion in life. Perhaps that is the most magical thing about love: when given, it does not diminish but continues to grow in the hearts of those it touches.

The characters in that book are not extraordinary, yet their kindness and humanity moved readers. They could also be the people each of us has encountered somewhere in life. Everywhere author Hong Hai paused, he gathered simple but beautiful stories, lessons more valuable than gold or jewels, and a very special happiness: the happiness of knowing one has lived usefully, having brought a little warmth and meaning to someone's life.

What moved me most after reading "If you can love, then love" was not the sad stories, but how people who had suffered many disadvantages and hardships still chose to live kindly and think of others. There were times I wondered, if I were in their shoes one day, would I be strong enough to keep such compassion in my heart? I once thought my hands were not long enough, my shoulders not broad enough to bear some of life's burdens and miseries like the author. But then the book made me realize that love is never measured by how many people we can help, but by whether we are willing to pause, listen, and share with one person. And perhaps, every kind act in life begins with such small gestures.

Unfortunately, the book is no longer being reprinted. I still hope one day to see the work return to bookshelves, so more people have the opportunity to meet these resilient lives, to be touched by the simple yet profound love within each page. For me, this is not just a book to read, but one to live with. I believe that a work may conclude on its last page, but the love it sows in people's hearts will continue to grow, silently spreading from one heart to another.

Many years from now, I might forget a few stories from the book, but I will never forget the feeling of wanting to become a kinder person after reading it, and the desire to carry the kindness from the book into my life. Because, "Somewhere out there, frail lives are still bowing their heads; please keep a bright pair of eyes, a pure heart, a broad soul. People are not easily forgotten by one another; however much you love, it is never enough. So, if you can love, then please just love..."

Le Nguyen Truc Phuong

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