The Street Sweeper's Hands

There is a deeply affectionate call, the one that has been engraved in the heart of each and every one of us: "Mother." Indeed, with love as vast as the ocean, a mother always yearns for her child to grow up to be a good person and succeed in life. We surely cannot forget the touching story entitled “The Street Sweeper's Hands.”. It tells of a mother, a street sweeper, who raised her child to be a good person by holding her son's hand every day with her own blistered hands.

 

We often hear that the world has many great wonders. However, for me, my mother is the greatest wonder in my mind. Therefore, I always have the most affectionate and respectful feelings for my mother.

 

Being born into this life, whether rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, good or bad, every person must shoulder responsibility and is influenced by Karma. For parents, perhaps the most difficult, time-consuming, and effort-intensive responsibility is raising their children. The deeply moving story, "The Street Sweeper's Hands," tells of a woman who quietly went about her daily work: sweeping streets and collecting trash, earning only a little wage. Yet, with a mother’s sense of responsibility, she strove to support her son’s education until he completed it. In the end, her son achieved the highest score in the university entrance examination.

 

This has made many people wonder, so TV reporters came to interview the mother about the secret to raising her child. The street sweeper mother gave only a simple reply: “My secret is that I hold my son’s hand at least once each day.” As she spoke, she held up her blistered hands to the camera.

 

 The above story is certainly a subtle secret to raising children. A miracle happened, and success came from the most sincere and simple heart.

 

Holding her son's hand at least once every day was the mother's way of showing concern for her child. No matter how busy or pressed her work was, she still cared for her child, was always by his side, and watched over his every step. It is the fullness of love between a mother and her child, along with the hardships and difficulties that a mother has sacrificed for her child to become a decent person.

 

 Holding your child's hand at least once a day shows simplicity, not nobility or power. The purpose is to encourage the children to strive and put in their own effort, preventing them from relying too heavily on their parents. It helps them realize that parents can only support and guide them on their life journey but can never live life on their behalf.

 

For those who are parents, holding their children too tightly is not a good method of education. It's better to let them learn to walk on their own two feet. It's just like when we teach a child to ride a bike: once the child can pedal on their own, we should gently let them go.

 

Parents should always be a strong foundation to create all the necessary conditions for their children to develop their full potential. They should offer love with the most genuine affection. That is the profound lesson we take away from the touching story of "The Street Sweeper's Hands."

 

Bình Minh

Translated into English by Huynh Vo Cao Tri