A Saturday that began before sunrise
Even though it was Saturday, the day started early.
At 5:30 a.m., the streets were still quiet, the sky soft and pale, and the temperature hovered around a perfect 20 degrees. Cool enough to feel refreshing, warm enough to move freely. I laced up my running shoes and stepped outside, already knowing this run would feel special.
I chose the same route I had run a few days earlier, the flower route. But this time, the street felt even more alive.
More flower sellers had arrived overnight. More colors. More movement. More signs that Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, was just around the corner.
Running through a living Tet market
As I ran, I passed rows and rows of flowers lining the street.
Peach blossoms in different shades of pink, from the softest pastel to deep, vibrant rose. Yellow apricot flowers glowing under the early light. Potted plants carefully arranged, waiting to be chosen and taken home.
This time, the sellers were not only offering flowers. There were also fruits traditionally displayed during Tet, pomelos, mandarins, kumquats, neatly stacked and polished, symbols of prosperity and abundance.
Running through this space always fills me with joy.
Sometimes I slow down. Sometimes I stop completely. I chat with the flower sellers, ask where the plants came from, how long they have been traveling, how many nights they have slept on the street to care for these flowers.
There is something deeply human about this exchange. A quiet reminder that Tet is not just a holiday. It is a collective effort.
Why flowers matter so much during Tet
In Vietnam, flowers are not decoration. They are meaning.
Every flower placed in a home during Tet carries a wish for the year ahead.
Peach blossoms, or hoa đào, are especially important in the North and North Central regions. They symbolize renewal, vitality, and protection against bad luck. Families often choose peach trees with many unopened buds, believing that blossoms opening slowly over the first days of the new year bring steady growth and good fortune.
Yellow apricot flowers, hoa mai, are more common in the South. Their bright yellow color represents wealth, happiness, and success.
Kumquat trees, with their glossy green leaves and bright orange-yellow fruits, symbolize fullness and prosperity. A well-balanced kumquat tree, full of fruit and buds, is believed to bring harmony and luck to the household.
And orchids, delicate yet strong, represent elegance, refinement, and resilience.
As I ran past these symbols of hope and intention, I felt deeply connected to the rhythm of the season.
The ritual of weekly reflection
After the run, I moved into another important Saturday ritual.
Every week, without exception, I spend about three hours reflecting.
This is not something I rush. I sit down with my notebook, my thoughts, sometimes tea, sometimes just silence. I reflect across different areas of my life, checking in honestly with where I am.
The first area is work and purpose.
I ask myself how the week felt. What challenged me. What energized me. Where I felt aligned, and where I felt drained.
Then comes health, both physical and mental. I look at my training, my sleep, my stress levels. How my body feels. How my mind feels.
Finance is another key area. I review expenses, investments, and progress toward short-term and long-term goals. Not from a place of fear, but from responsibility and clarity.
Relationships come next. I reflect on how I showed up for my family and friends. Which relationships felt nourishing. Which ones need more intention.
And finally, contribution.
This part matters deeply to me.
Contribution as a way of living
Contribution does not always mean money.
Sometimes it means time. Attention. Energy.
During this season, contribution shows up through my role as chairwoman of the UWC selection process. It is an intense period. We are in the final push, conducting interviews, coordinating logistics, and making sure everything runs smoothly.
By mid-February, we aim to complete the final interviews. There are 41 candidates. Each conversation lasts about 30 minutes. Each one is an opportunity to see beyond the application, beyond the grades and essays, and truly understand the person.
These one-on-one connections matter.
They bring the profiles to life.
They remind me why education, access, and mentorship are worth fighting for.
This is the kind of contribution that fills me, even when it exhausts me.
Choosing relationships with intention
Another big part of my reflection is relationships.
Time is limited. Energy is limited. And so it becomes incredibly important to be intentional about who we spend our lives with.
I think about my family, my friends, and the people who bring warmth, honesty, and growth into my life. I ask myself whether I am nurturing these relationships enough.
Being around the right people is not about convenience. It is about alignment.
That Saturday, I felt grateful for how much time I was able to spend with family.
Lunch with family and generations together
While my mom went out for lunch with friends, my dad, my little brother, and I visited my aunt.
She had prepared lunch for us, a familiar spread of home-cooked dishes that instantly made me feel grounded.
My grandfather was there. So was my little niece, a five-year-old girl full of curiosity and quiet strength. She is the daughter of my cousin who passed away last year. I hold her very close to my heart. I do not have children yet, but I see her as my own in many ways. I want to make sure she feels seen, supported, and loved.
Moments like these remind me that Tet is not just about celebration. It is about continuity. About generations sitting together, sharing food, stories, and presence.
The family tradition of buying Tet flowers
In the afternoon, my dad drove my mom, my brother, and me out to buy flowers.
This is one of my favorite family traditions.
Every year, when I am home, we do this together. When I am not, my parents and brother carry on the ritual.
We returned to the same flower market I had run through in the morning. This time, not as a runner passing by, but as a family choosing symbols for the year ahead.
We walked slowly. We looked carefully. We talked to sellers. We debated colors, shapes, and placements.
Our main goal was to find the perfect peach blossom tree.
This year, I wanted a deeper pink, richer and bolder than last year’s light pink. Most peach blossoms come from Northern Vietnam, transported carefully down south. Because the weather has been warm, many blossoms had already bloomed, which made choosing harder.
We searched for a tree with many unopened buds, knowing they would bloom gradually during Tet.
Kumquat trees and careful placement
After choosing the peach blossom, we moved on to the kumquat tree.
Kumquat trees are not chosen lightly.
You have to think about where they will stand in the house. The balance of fruit and leaves. The overall shape. The energy it brings into the space.
We found a beautiful kumquat tree with bright fruit, full and lively. It will be placed in front of our family portrait in the living room, a symbol of abundance watching over generations.
The peach blossom will stand near the gate, so that the first thing we see when we walk in is renewal and warmth.
Orchids from Da Lat and a touch of elegance
My mom loves orchids.
So our final stop was a large orchid shop. We wandered through rows of delicate blooms, eventually choosing a yellow orchid brought from Da Lat.
Da Lat, with its cooler climate and mountainous terrain, is famous for producing some of Vietnam’s most beautiful flowers. Orchids from there carry a sense of calm elegance.
This orchid will add softness and grace to our home during Tet.
Tet decorations and shared effort
This is only the beginning.
In the coming days, my brother and I will help my mom decorate the house. There are more decorations to buy, more cleaning to do, more small rituals that prepare the home for the new year.
In many ways, it feels similar to Christmas in the West. Families buy pine trees, decorate together, create a shared atmosphere of anticipation.
In Vietnam, flowers are our trees.
They hold our hopes.
They mark the turning of the year.
Ending the day with gratitude and intention
The day ended with dinner with family friends, warm conversation, and laughter.
By the time I returned home, I felt full. Not just from food, but from connection.
I decided to go to bed early. Tomorrow will be another training day, an indoor cycling and running brick session. I am excited, not just for the workout, but for the rhythm of moving forward.
As Tet approaches, I feel grounded, energized, and deeply grateful.
For strong morning runs.
For reflection and intention.
For family traditions that anchor me.
For flowers that remind me of renewal.
And for the quiet joy of living a life that feels aligned.