The remaining moments of youth

One morning at the beginning of the week, I was driving to work as usual when I saw a group of students taking photos right in the area of ​​the Museum of Vietnamese Ethnic Cultures. The group of senior students in flowing, radiant ao dai were together creating the most beautiful moments to preserve a time of youth.

Senior students take photos to save the remaining moments of youth.

I slowed down to look at the young people, the owners of the country in the future. My friends and I also had a beautiful youth like that. At that time, there were farewells at the end of the school year, there were lines in the yearbook that were “wet before being exchanged”, there were photos in the school yard as souvenirs but there were no well-invested yearbook photos like today. No one knows when yearbook photos first appeared, but when talking about yearbooks, we often imagine photos that encapsulate a journey of studying and playing under the beloved school roof, photos that preserve memories of the last year of school.

When it comes to yearbooks, the first image that comes to mind is definitely the uniforms. The pure white color of the shirt, combined with trousers or skirts, simple but containing a whole sky of memories. In the past, we went to school without uniforms, clothes that did not need to be patched were considered very luxurious. But now, students going to school from elementary level all have uniforms. Uniforms are not only clothes for wearing to school, but also a symbol of connection, of innocent, carefree, and pure years. In yearbook photos, uniforms become even more meaningful, because it is a harmony of images, a harmony of souls, and common dreams of school age.

When it comes to yearbooks, the pure white ao dai, fluttering in the wind, highlighting the gentle, shy beauty of female students will be an unforgettable image. Wearing the ao dai, the girls "suddenly feel like they have grown up", more gentle in the innocence and purity of school age. Photos taken in ao dai have a very unique beauty, both traditional and modern, both romantic and elegant. The white ao dai flutters in the wind, creating a picturesque scene, reminiscent of poems and gentle love songs.

Graduation photos now are not only carefully crafted in costumes, but also in the constant creativity of students and photography crews. No longer bound by old stereotypes, young people have boldly experimented with unique concepts, bearing the mark of each class. Some classes chose concepts that recreated childhood folk games, with costumes of Ao Ba Ba and Scarves, reminiscent of an innocent, beautiful childhood. Some classes transformed into students of the previous decade, with retro costumes and old bicycles, taking viewers back to a very distant time.

Not only stopping at the concept, the locations for taking yearbook photos are also increasingly diverse. The school space is still the top choice, because that is where the most memories are kept. However, students also look for beautiful outdoor locations such as parks, fields, old cafes, or even elaborately staged film sets. Each location has its own beauty, contributing to creating unique yearbook photos, imbued with the style of each class.

Behind each yearbook photo is a story, a memory, an emotion. It is the bursts of laughter when posing, the tight hugs, the affectionate glances. It is the moment when the whole class shares happy and sad stories, dreams and plans for the future. Because the yearbook is not only about recording images, but also recording the most genuine emotions of student life.

Each yearbook photo carries a unique message. Some photos show the dynamism and enthusiasm of youth. Some photos exude a contemplative look, reflecting on the past and the future. But above all, yearbook photos show friendship, deep teacher-student relationships, and love for the school they once lived together. These are values ​​that cannot be measured by money, but can only be felt by the heart.

When the cicadas chirp on the red phoenix flowers in the school yard, it is also the time when in the hearts of every senior student there resounds the soulful song: "And who knows if we will meet again someday?". At that time, standing next to each other, posing for a photo together, is enough to dispel all sadness, erase all conflicts. Friendship becomes more connected and closer through caring gestures, sincere sharing, and companionship on that journey. For students today, taking yearbook photos has become an important event, a memorable part of their school years. Therefore, everything is meticulously prepared, carefully and thoroughly, like a professional team is working. Few people can resist the temptation to take photos when they are young.

Life is happening in a hurry, waiting for no one. And people do not have the magic to capture the beautiful youth forever. Graduation photos partly help each person fight against the oblivion of time, or at least open the door to a few times to return to memories in quiet, thoughtful moments.

A poet once wrote: “Memories are beautiful carpets that are occasionally brought out to dry.” After ten or twenty years, there is a chance to meet again at a class reunion or a special event. Friends gather around old yearbook photos, name this person, ponder over the image of that person, and tell stories behind them. Those stories make people feel sublime in the space of memories, and realize their own maturity through each stage they have experienced.

Yearbook is not only a milestone marking the end of a journey, but also a promise of future reunions, a thread connecting hearts no matter how far away. Then tomorrow, when looking back at those photos, we will smile remembering a beautiful youth, a time of dreamy white shirts that used to be an indispensable part of our lives.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202506/khoanh-khac-thanh-xuan-con-lai-8990804/