Mr. Nam helping his wife, Mrs. Huong, with her work

We met Mrs. Huong and her husband after a busy day on the road. Mrs. Huong is a tailor, trained by AEPD. She was born with her disability while her husband, Mr. Nam, lost his arm during a work accident. The couple met while Mrs. Huong was rehearsing for a singing competition organized by AEPD. They’ve been married for two years now. When asked what he loves most about life these days, Mr. Nam said, “After my accident, I was deeply depressed and went through a very rough time. But now, we’re working. I’m happily married and we’re expecting a child in the next month!” Their smiles and positivity were absolutely contagious. I’ve been told previously that Mrs. Huong is a great singer, so I was excited to see her perform. Her song selection though… She had me tearing up inside, a lot like how I get whenever I watch videos of baby birds learning to fly. Enjoy!

“Blooming Flower”

I used to wish that I wasn’t myself.
I used to wish that I could be like everybody else.
So I could live an easy and carefree life,
So I could live the life that I had always dreamed of.

But I realized, my heart is capable of unconditional love,
And it is filled with big dreams.
I realized that when faced with obstacles,
I learn to love my life even more.
I’m growing stronger and I’m learning to believe in myself.

My life resembles that of a blooming flower,
Standing strong through it all, overcoming and
Living with a great thirst for life.

I may face hardship in the future,
But I will look to tomorrow
Because tomorrow is a brand new day,
Full of sunshine.
And I am in charge of writing my own life story,
For me.

So, what’s in a song? In this case, plenty of hope, excitement and optimism.