This autumn is different!

When the sun softens and the sweltering heat fades, and gentle breezes begin to blow, autumn quietly arrives. The space, the sky, and earth, the trees, and even people all seem to transform, each revealing clear signs of change.

Tree canopies begin to turn yellow, brown, and red, as if donning new garments, and the air grows rich with the sweet fragrance of milk flowers, ylang-ylang, magnolia, and begonia. The sunlight is more golden, more tender, but even more tender are the breezes. Like a long-lost guest returning, the dry, rustling north winds whisper over thatched roofs, stirring a sense of restlessness and wistful reverie. The wind feels both familiar and strange, free-spirited and gentle. It carries with it vague stirrings of affection and longing, elusive and impossible to put into words.

Illustration photo, created by AI

I suddenly remember the past autumn days, when the weather turned chilly, the river in front of my house would swell and become clear blue. I remember the creaking bamboo swaying and the young banana leaves flying flat in one direction in the gentle autumn winds. When the weather turned chilly, the young women in the neighborhood would often take advantage of the time to wash their mats and blankets before dawn. The bustling sounds of talking and laughing, the thudding sounds of beating mats on the river surface, awakened a new day.

On autumn afternoons, the Dinh River bridge in my small hamlet would come alive with the sounds of laughter and conversation from farmers returning from the fields. Everyone carried a farming tool, some with a hoe, others a sickle, or a pair of carrying poles. The river bridge in my hometown was neither wide nor beautiful, just a few neatly placed blue stones used for washing and bathing, but I always felt the warm, rustic rhythm of village life flowing there from early morning until nightfall.

And although no one ever laid down rules, it was like an unwritten code: above the bridge, the men would wash their hands, feet, and farming tools while loudly debating international affairs. Below the bridge, the women washed vegetables and grass for the buffalo and cattle, taking the opportunity to rinse out their work clothes. At the far end of the bridge, where the river water often turned cloudy, the children would bathe the buffalo and cattle, shouting and calling out, their voices filling the stretch of the rural river with cheerful noise.

Then, as the last light of the sun faded, My Ke village ahead, separated from my village by a river and a field, became just a faint purple haze. The gentle autumn winds, though not strong, were enough to make the tree branches sway and cause the newly lit oil lamps in the thatched houses to flicker like falling stars.

This autumn, my heart stirs with an unfamiliar excitement. Alongside the gentle comfort brought by the soft autumn weather, it is the surge of emotion as every Vietnamese heart turns toward a momentous historical event: the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and the grand celebration of National Day on September 2.

Dong Xoai - Dong Nai, where my family lives, is part of the Southeastern region, warm and sunny year-round with only two seasons, rainy and dry. Yet each autumn, the streets glow with vibrant colors: the colors of clothing, scarves, hats, and bags; the red of flags, the brightness of flowers, the boldness of banners, billboards, and slogans, as the people of Dong Xoai, together with the entire nation, welcome a very special Independence Tet.

We are not only proud of the glorious history of our nation, but also continue to affirm that the success of the August Revolution was thanks to the wise leadership of our Party. It was the result of unity and solidarity in overcoming countless hardships, sacrifices, and challenges of the entire people.

Today’s reality presents historic demands in an era where the nation is rising. It is an era of breakthroughs and accelerated development across all areas of social life, aimed at elevating the country to new heights. It is about optimizing national resources. It is about fully unleashing the spirit of patriotism, creativity, and dedication.

And when the aspiration for strength and prosperity becomes the shared desire of the entire people, the lesson of “the strength of the people’s will” from the August Revolution remains a powerful source of motivation, driving the Party as a whole and the people to promote self-reliance, for a strong and prosperous Vietnam.

By: Linh Tam

Translated by: Mai Nga-Minho