After more than three decades being cared for by his stepmother, Do Van Quang (born in 1993, originally from Thai Binh, now Hung Yen) no longer distinguishes between biological mother and stepmother.

He has always believed that stories of stepmothers loving their husband’s children like their own are real, because he has experienced it throughout his life.

When Quang was one year old, his parents divorced. He then lived with his father and grandmother.

A year later, his father remarried Quy (born in 1970), a woman from the same village. At that time, Quang had just begun to speak. The very first word “mom” he uttered was for this special woman.

“For more than 30 years, I have always called my stepmother ‘mom’. With everything she has done for me, that word comes naturally,” he shared.

Throughout his childhood, he was nurtured and loved by the woman. Even after his stepmother had her own biological child, her affection for him never diminished. In fact, fearing he might feel left out, she cared for him even more.

She took care of his meals and sleep, and during his primary school years, she rode him to school on an old bicycle.

As a child, Quang was often sick. He still remembers nights when his mother stayed awake to monitor his fever and give him medicine.

While his father was strict, his stepmother was gentle. She never scolded or punished him harshly, nor did she ever treat him differently. Because of his weak health, she often gave him the better pieces of food.

“Once, because of an argument with my father, my mother impulsively packed up to go back to her maternal home. She didn't just take my younger brother but also took me along. She said, 'Wherever I go, the children follow,'” Quang recalled.

At that time, I didn't quite understand. Looking back later, I realized that even then, she regarded me as her biological child,” Quang confided.

Recalling that memory, Quy said: “I nurtured both children since they were small. I love them, so I couldn't leave either one behind. After the anger passed, my husband and I reconciled, all for the sake of the children.”

The stepmother’s compassion

Quang was once his parents’ pride for his academic excellence. He was admitted to a specialized school in the province, making his mother very proud.

However, due to overconfidence, he later neglected his studies. He often skipped school to play games, and for two consecutive years his academic performance dropped to average and below, even failing to qualify for grade 12.

His mother was heartbroken seeing her once well-behaved, high-achieving son go astray. His father, returning home after a month away for work, was furious. He scolded Quang, burned his books, and in a moment of anger, even blamed his wife for not guiding their son properly.

“At that time, seeing my mother suffer because of me, I felt deeply regretful. Watching her cry, I didn’t know how to make up for it.

Yet she never scolded me. She only said: “You used to be a good and capable child. You just lost your way. Now you must turn back and focus on your studies.” Then she secretly borrowed money from her family to buy me books so I could return to school,” Quang recalled.

Her words became his motivation to study seriously again. He improved his academic results and was eventually admitted to university. To this day, he remains grateful for her forgiveness and encouragement.

During his years studying and working far from home, he felt even more deeply her unconditional love.

Her phone calls asking about his well-being, the vegetables, eggs, and rice she prepared for him to bring back to the city, the image of her riding an old bicycle to the market to cook his favorite meals whenever he returned, all of these moved him to tears.

After graduating, he moved to HCMC for work and could only return home once a year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he couldn’t go home for two years. His mother constantly worried about me, and he missed her deeply.

Quang decided to move closer to home, working in Ninh Binh and Hanoi. Every month, he returns home once or twice to enjoy his mother’s cooking and share stories about his life.

Thanh Minh