I spent 50M VND to save my cat, but later I realized it wasn’t entirely for her. It was my ego.
Back in 2021, when I first moved out of my parents’ home, I adopted my first cat, Joe, named after Joey Tribbiani. Just one day later, he fell ill with FIP. The virus reached his brain, and three days later, he was gone. I was devastated, weighed down by a heavy sense of guilt.
A month later, I decided to try again and brought home Snowball (Bông). She had a sweet, innocent face I couldn’t walk away from. But within a week, I noticed her swollen stomach. It was FIP again. Luckily, this time it was in her abdomen, caught early enough to treat.
The catch? An 81-day treatment costing at least 2M VND every six days, excluding food and vet fees. To protect her kidneys, I cooked her chicken breast and broccoli daily. I took her to the clinic every single day for injections until I eventually learned to do it myself. I was exhausted, recently employed, and plunging into debt. But I pushed through.
Five years later, Bông is thriving, sunbathing on my third floor. Back in 2022, the vet said she couldn’t believe I went through all that for “just a cat.” At the time, I thought I did it out of love. But looking back, it was post-trauma, guilt, and my ego – a desperate need not to fail again.
Yet, that experience taught me what responsibility really means when you welcome a life into your world.
Now, Bông is five years old, and I have a one-year-old baby boy. The everyday routine can be exhausting. By the end of the day, I often feel a slight dizziness, a silent buzz in my head where my eyes grow heavy and my mind goes blank.
A few weeks ago, during a severe blood sugar drop in the heat, my chest throbbed, my heart raced, and for a moment, as I drifted away, I thought it was the end.
In that silence, I realized something: when we are young, we think going to work means we are “making history.” But as time passes, you realize the world is just a small box, and we all reach the exact same destination eventually.
Why hustle?
For me, “hustling” is no longer about climbing corporate ladders or proving I’m not spoiled. It has become the quiet, relentless act of showing up. Taking care of the lives that depend on me isn’t a burden, it is the very anchor that pulls me back from the void.
Love and responsibility comes together with commitment. Showing up for my family daily, even through the fatigue, is the most meaningful reason I know to keep breathing and keep waking up every morning.
5 memos to keep your health well in today’s bustling life
- Rest is a job, not a treat: Taking a break isn’t lazy. You need rest so you have energy for yourself and your family
- Never skip the basics: Drink enough water and eat your meals on time. Don’t let your stomach stay empty for too long.
- Listen to your body, let it be tired: When your head starts to buzz or your eyes get heavy, stop and rest, only get back to work when you feel ready.
- Take 5-minute mini breaks: You don’t need hours of free time. Just step away from your screens for 5 minutes, sit quietly, and breathe.
- It’s okay to say no: Don’t try to do everything. Save your energy for the things and the people who matter most.
