For Nguyen Thi Ngoc, her 95-year-old mother, Duong Thi Xoan, has always been the greatest treasure of their family.

Now approaching her 100th birthday, Xoan remains healthy, mentally sharp and continues to serve as the beloved matriarch of a family spanning more than 60 children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She often shares traditional Vietnamese proverbs, folk sayings and Buddhist teachings to gently guide younger generations toward kindness and integrity.

Teaching kindness above all

Duong Thi Xoan raised 10 children - four sons and six daughters. She gave birth to her youngest daughter, Nguyen Thi Ngoc, at the age of 49.

Ngoc once asked her mother why she had decided to have another child at an age when many women were already entering old age. Her mother smiled and replied, "For every mother, each child is a gift."

Xoan's husband passed away 10 years ago. She now lives with her third son, while eight of her other children live nearby. Only Ngoc has settled away from her hometown and now lives in Hanoi.

"Even so, I visit my mother as often as I can because every day spent with her is precious," Ngoc said.

Years ago, Xoan and her husband worked both as schoolteachers and farmers. To provide for their large family, they cultivated their own rice fields while also working as hired farm laborers to earn extra income.

When Ngoc was born, several of her older siblings had already married and moved out. Although the household was smaller, poverty remained a constant part of daily life.

She still remembers meals stretched with sweet potatoes and cassava, and how a rare chicken egg was reserved as a reward for a child who had just completed an important examination.

What she remembers most vividly, however, is her mother's gentle smile.

No matter how difficult life became, Xoan remained calm and encouraging, always urging her children to pursue their education as far as they could.

"My mother always believed kindness mattered most. She constantly taught us to live with compassion, which is probably why all of us siblings grew up gentle and humble. As the youngest daughter, I was spoiled a little more and became somewhat more outspoken. For all of us, our parents were role models - not only in how they treated others, but also in living lives guided by compassion," Ngoc said.

Living independently in old age

Even at 95, Xoan remains remarkably independent in her daily life.

She continues to grow vegetables, raise chickens and help her family with cooking and household chores.

Every morning, she wakes at 5 a.m. to prepare breakfast before watering the vegetable garden, harvesting fresh produce, sweeping the yard and cooking lunch.

In the afternoons, she enjoys walking around the village to visit neighbors and grandchildren. Every evening, she watches the national news to stay informed about current events.

"Most days my mother cooks on an electric induction stove, but from time to time she still prepares rice and braised fish over a traditional wood-fired stove. She always makes sure meals are ready before everyone comes home. For many years now, she has followed an almost entirely vegetarian diet. Her meals usually consist of vegetables, tofu and pickled eggplants rather than meat or fish," Ngoc said.

According to Ngoc, her mother has memorized many Buddhist scriptures and is often invited by relatives and neighbors to conduct traditional blessing ceremonies for occasions such as newborn celebrations and housewarming rituals.

Although she never accepts payment, she always performs each ceremony with great care.

Five years ago, while riding her bicycle to perform a blessing ceremony, Xoan was involved in a traffic accident that caused a severe traumatic brain injury.

She underwent surgery that required doctors to remove part of her skull.

"Yet she recovered in what felt like a miracle and remains mentally sharp today," Ngoc said.

Today, Xoan's family includes more than 60 children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Every year, they gather at her home for family memorial ceremonies and Lunar New Year celebrations.

She continues to shower her family with affection, always sharing whatever good food she has whenever her children and grandchildren come to visit.

From time to time, she gently reminds younger family members of life's values through Vietnamese proverbs and traditional sayings.

"Whenever I return home and hear my mother's laughter or simply sit beside her talking, I feel incredibly fortunate. Those simple moments are what I treasure most and hope to preserve for as long as possible. I only wish for my mother to remain healthy and peaceful, so that all of us can continue caring for her, gathering around her and creating many more beautiful memories together," Ngoc said.

Thanh Minh