Rare woman
"In the beginning, human nature is inherently good. Nature is similar, practice is different. If a dog is not taught, nature is God. Teaching is precious because of specialization" - Mrs. Vo Thi Dinh's voice (Lap Vo district, Dong Thap province) was loud and clear, echoing throughout the house when she read "Three-Character Classic", which surprised us because at the age of 106, she is still clear-minded and knowledgeable.
When we started talking, she showed her hospitality, invited us to have tea and cake and chatted in a friendly manner. "I still eat well and like to drink iced coffee! Even though I'm old, I still love reading books. Sometimes I can't see clearly anymore, but if I don't read, I feel sad," Mrs. Dinh said with a smile.
Unlike most women of her time, who had little opportunity to go to school, Ms. Dinh was luckier because her parents created conditions for her to study, even mastering the national language and Chinese characters. When she got married, Ms. Dinh and her husband, a teacher, raised 7 successful children. One of them used to teach at the Pedagogical High School, the predecessor of today's An Giang University.
"Without land, my husband saved his salary from his teaching job and I saved money from selling groceries to pay for our children's education. We are willing to sacrifice everything in exchange for knowledge for our children," Ms. Dinh confided.
Following family tradition, after liberation, Mr. Nguyen Kim Lan (born in 1956, Mrs. Dinh's 6th child) also became a teacher and worked in Dong Thap. At retirement age, every morning Mr. Lan regularly visited his mother, bringing her some food and fruit to enjoy.
"My mother is currently being taken care of by her youngest son, but we still spend some time with her every day. We are very grateful to her for giving us the valuable asset of knowledge to become good people. That is why all the children in the family have finished university."
Set an example for your grandchildren.
Ms. Nguyen Kim Quyen (born in 1959, daughter of Ms. Dinh) is also the President of the Antiques Association of An Giang Province. Ms. Quyen said that when she was young, her mother often molded clay for her children to play with in all kinds of beautiful shapes such as buffalo, cat, vase, cup, etc. During a serious illness, it was the clay that gave Ms. Quyen the strength and spirit to fight the disease. Later, it also fostered Ms. Quyen's spirit of playing with pottery.
"Because of her understanding of Chinese characters, my mother taught me the lines of inscriptions that artisans expressed on pottery, helping me to understand more deeply the humanistic meanings and lessons of being human hidden within. In her old age, she still teaches us lessons about how to be a good person, how to raise children, how to treat others,..." - Mrs. Quyen confided.
Ms. Nguyen Kim Bao Tram (born 2000, great-granddaughter of Mrs. Dinh) was taught Chinese chess by Mrs. Dinh since she was a child. Whenever they have time, the two of them often sit down and play chess together to reminisce.
"I remember when I was in 12th grade, I was confused about what career to choose, my grandmother guided me to study business administration because of my family background. Up to now, I support my family in managing a construction materials supply facility, thanks to that I have developed myself."
On the occasion of Vietnamese Women's Day, October 20, Mr. Le Van Tuan (Vice Chairman of Binh Thanh Trung Commune People's Committee) visited and wished Mrs. Dinh good health. By chance, he met Mrs. Dinh who was still playing chess wisely. Mr. Tuan happily said: "We really appreciate Mrs. Dinh because she is a woman who is devoted to her children and builds a cultured family that is considered a typical example in the locality. Hopefully, Mrs. Dinh's story will spread to everyone so that they can see that Vietnamese women are truly beautiful and noble."
"For us, our mother is the one who sacrifices for her children and grandchildren, so every day that passes is October 20, Mother's Day. That merit cannot be compensated, so we remind ourselves to always love our mother. That love is not only gifts, but more importantly, working hard and doing useful work every day to make her feel at ease," Ms. Quyen added.
