Hien, 83 — Memories in Smoke
Giving Hiển his photo
Hiển was so happy to receive his photo and hung it up inside his house. When we returned on Tet (Lunar New Year) he was having a big family gathering and they all welcomed us in like family. Hiển was proud of his picture and showing it off to his family of 40+ people. I even glanced at one of his sons taking a picture of it and posting it on Facebook. They knew I’d given it to them and they seemed excited to meet me and insisted on drinking beer and eating together.
Hiển lost his entire family during the Vietnam/American War. Now here he is in his later years with a huge family of children and grandchildren all coming together to celebrate the Lunar New Year together. We’re grateful we can be a part of this and add a bit more happiness into his life.
Remembering the Vietnam-American War
“Sometimes, when I think about that I’m very sad. If they were alive, we could live happily together.” (He kept silence for a few minutes. His eyes full of sadness). “However, I always try to live positively. Life is short, so we should live our life happily.”
“Now I am retired. I am neither richer nor poorer than anyone else. It’s hard to live happily when we compare our life with the rich. But when I look back, I see there are many people who have a harder life than I do.”
Hiển, 83 years old
Hoi An, Vietnam