Re:union
- M
- Jan 17
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 4
“10, 9, 8... 3, 2, 1!
Happy New Year 2025!”
The countdown to the New Year feels like it just happened, and yet, Vietnam’s longest and most meaningful holiday, Tết, has already passed.
But Tết is more than just a change in the calendar or a short break from work — it’s a time that stirs something deep within us, a season that gently invites us to reflect on life’s essence.
Tết, officially called Tết Nguyên Đán, carries the meaning of “beginning” or “foundation.” As this holiday approaches, cities take on a noticeably different rhythm. The once-busy streets grow quiet. Motorbikes and taxis disappear, and a rare calm settles over the roads. People return to their hometowns or escape to nearby destinations, often taking extra days off to truly rest and breathe outside their daily routines.
But the true meaning of Tết goes far beyond rest and leisure. It’s a sacred time to reflect on the past and enter the new year with renewed hope — together. Families re:unite, honor their ancestors, and re:connect after being apart.
Even when bodies have been separated by distance, hearts draw near. Stories are shared.
Wounds are acknowledged. And through listening, understanding, and sometimes forgiving, we become one again — in love.
Tết, then, is more than a family gathering. It becomes a moment of true reunion and re:conciliation.
"Re: union." Opening our hearts to one another and mending broken ties is perhaps one of life’s deepest, most sacred experiences. These moments remind us of values often forgotten in the hustle of daily life — how we face brokenness, how we pursue healing, and how we walk through relationships marked by both joy and pain.
A similar idea can be found in the Japanese art of Kintsugi (金継ぎ). This traditional method of repairing broken pottery with gold or lacquer doesn’t hide the cracks — it highlights them. It’s a philosophy that says: because it was broken, it is now more beautiful. The scars are not flaws, but part of the story — a story of re:demption, re:silience, and re:birth.
So it is with human relationships.
When we face the broken places with honesty and grace and take the time to mend them with care,
what emerges is something even stronger, even more beautiful.
The power of restoration and reunion is rooted in a truth we can trust.
In Isaiah 55:1, it is written:
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”
It’s an invitation into abundance — into love and grace overflowing.
A vision of unity where all are welcome.
Where brokenness meets healing. Where forgiveness meets acceptance. Where we become whole again.
Maybe this is why we long for Tết so deeply. Not just for a long holiday or a short escape but because it offers us a chance to understand one another, to forgive, and to become one again — in love.
And all of this is only possible through love.
So if we hold onto the wonder of Tết — this moment of restoration and grace — perhaps we, too, will feel the beauty of ‘Re: union’ within our families, our communities, and our lives.
As we step into this new beginning, may true peace and harmony fill our days,
and may every moment be shaped by love.
※ In The Cors, 'RE:' is used as a modifier meaning 'the process of becoming ~ again.'
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