The life of a 119-year-old woman

Dong Nai: For nearly a week now, the family of 119-year-old Trinh Thi Khong has been receiving visitors every day, who come to talk to them after a video of her was shared on social media.

Mrs. Trinh Thi Khong, residing in Binh Loc commune, Long Khanh city, was born in 1905 and originally came from Trieu Son district, Thanh Hoa province.

In her youth, she married a man from the same village and had three children with him. In 1950, her husband died in the resistance war against the French. Afterward, she remarried and had four more children within about 10 years.

After 1975, Ms. Do Thi Ninh (currently 82 years old), the second daughter of Mr. Khong, married a man in Long Khanh City, Dong Nai Province, so Mr. Khong moved to the South to live with his daughter. A few years later, his youngest son also moved to the South to start a business, leaving five siblings in the North.

Mrs. Trinh Thi Khong, 119 years old, with her granddaughter at their home in Binh Loc commune, Long Khanh city, Dong Nai province, March 2024. Photo: Ngoc Ngan

Although she lives with her daughter in Dong Nai, every few months, even though she is over 80 years old, Mrs. Khong still takes a train or bus back to Thanh Hoa alone to visit her family. She believes that regular exercise and not relying on her children and grandchildren are the secrets to her longevity, good health, and mental sharpness in old age.

"She doesn't like to bother anyone," Mrs. Ninh said. "She's very sharp-minded and never takes the wrong bus or encounters any difficulties along the way."

Even after turning 100, the elderly woman still loves to work. Neighbors say that every day they see her getting up at dawn to weed the yard, sweep the house, and tend to the garden. Not only that, she also helps her family peel jackfruit and shell peanuts. "She gets angry if her children and grandchildren stop her because the work makes her feel healthy and alert," Mrs. Ninh recounted, adding that this is also why, at the age of 119, she still remembers the faces and names of all nearly 110 of her children, grandchildren, and in-laws.

Grandma Khong was a warm-hearted person who instilled unity in her extended family. Her grandson, Thanh Xuan, 60, said they have two occasions to reunite: Tet (Lunar New Year) and her birthday celebration in June each year. Because the extended family is so large, they divide their visits into two to four trips. Grandma Khong told her children and grandchildren that money wasn't necessary; simply seeing each other was a joy.

From a young age, she taught her children that siblings should be considerate of each other. Mrs. Ninh said that even now, with one from the South and the other from the North, they still maintain weekly phone calls and conversations. "Outsiders wouldn't know we're half-siblings," Mrs. Ninh said. "Even our daughters-in-law and sons-in-law are very loving towards her."

In 2022, Mrs. Ninh's husband passed away at the age of 96. The family had to take Mr. Khong to a relative's house 15 km away to hold his funeral. After the funeral arrangements were completed, Mr. Khong returned home and repeatedly asked where his son-in-law had been. The family kept it a secret, saying he had gone to a temple and visited relatives. After persistent questioning, they finally told the truth. Mr. Khong was very sad and cried a lot because he missed his son-in-law so much.

Her descendants organized a birthday celebration for Mrs. Trinh Thi Khong on her 113th birthday. Photo: Provided by the subject .

Three years ago, Mr. Khong fell and broke a bone, becoming seriously ill, and his health deteriorated significantly. He relies on his daughter and three grandchildren who live with him for daily activities such as eating, bathing, and washing.

Every day, she eats three meals consisting of thin porridge, bird's nest soup, milk, or soft fruit. If she feels well in the afternoon, she will sit up and chat with her children and grandchildren.

"Sometimes my mother forgets things, and sometimes we have to ask her three or four times, but she never gets confused about old memories or her children," Mrs. Ninh said.

Mr. Nguyen Van Lao, chairman of the Elderly Association of Binh Loc commune, Long Khanh city, said that every year the association organizes gift-giving, visits, and birthday celebrations for the elderly woman. In the local community, the elderly woman is kind, gentle, and well-liked by everyone.

In early March, the 119-year-old woman became more cheerful and active because she received visitors every day. The story of Mrs. Khong's life was shared on social media, attracting nearly two million views and over 1,500 comments, most of which wished her good health and a longer life. Some people noticed that she is two years older than the world's oldest living woman, Maria Branyas Morera of San Francisco, USA (recognized by Guinness World Records).

Ngoc Ngan

Source: https://vnexpress.net/cuoc-doi-cua-cu-ba-119-tuoi-4718067.html