A passing history

It was a sobering trip to the War Remnants Museum in Saigon. The exhibit halls were silent except for the rattle of the fans as people slowly waded through the horrifying pictures documenting the war. There was a tribute to photojournalists from around the world who lost their lives trying to share the real stories of the war. Many of the photos I was familiar with or I had at least seen very similar shots to those on display. However, looking at them side by side with Vietnamese tourists and with my feet planted on Vietnamese soil, I found myself particularly affected. I had a giant knot in my throat and tears kept stinging my eyes. And at was even before arriving to the multiple halls showing modern photos of victims of Agent Orange. Second generation victims..those born with mind blowing deformities and diseases that have largely been forgotten about, as so many were born after the war had run its course. One particular story really gripped me. It was a letter written to President Obama by a 23 year old victim born without legs and no left hand. He says "I have read your letter to your beloved daughters, in which you put it like this: 'These are the things I want for you--to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That is why I've taken our family on this great adventure.' I was deeply moved by the love you have for your daughters and the dreams you have for children of other countries, and I believe that you could have included children in Vietnam in your words. I dream that you were including innocent children slowly killed by dioxin, and their suffering. I dream you had in mind what to do to help every child to have the same chances to learn and to dream and to grow and thrive like your daughters." He is one of more than 3 million victims of Agent Orange in Viet Nam that are still suffering today because the chemical has yet to be cleaned up and is still present in the soil from which they harvest their rice and vegetables. I stood transfixed in front of this message because it wasn't only asking for assistance to victims here in Viet Nam but also to victims in the US. In another hall, there was a photo showing one of three survivors of a genocide attack in which she lost her entire family. At the age of 79, she is shown weeping. The caption reads 'I don't hate Americans, they are my friends'.... I was so struck by the hope and possibility that can survive such a brutal war. I have been overcome by the kindness and generosity of a population that is still nursing her wounds and getting back on her feet after suffering such devastation...and quite simply, to be so welcome here. If there is a lesson in all of this, it is the resiliency of humankind, this amazing ability (even though often out of necessity) to rise above our problems and look to the future....and Viet Nam is certainly doing that.

But further more, it is in moments like this that I am overcome by how fortunate I am. That my parents wanted the same for me...to be able grow up in a world in which I could pursue any dream I had. To be able to live this dream and travel the world...to try to better understand this place we call home...to meet people from so many different walks of life and see that we are not so different after all. Despite all the problems and strife that riddle the news, it is amazing to see what a beautiful world it is that we are living in....when you are able to actually meet the people and experience the places for yourself.