These are our mother's personal habits, shared with love. They are not medical advice. Please talk with your doctor before changing your diet, exercise, or health routine.
Our 99-year-old mother never read a modern self-help book. She doesn't go to the gym, and she has never taken a vitamin supplement. Her century of wisdom grows from ancient traditions, a minimalist way of living, and a deep respect for the natural rhythms of life.
Below are twenty of her habits — grouped so they are easier to follow, but each one is still hers.
At a glance
- Family and relationships — Filial children · Financial independence · Compassion for all things
- Daily rhythm — Minimalist life · Follow natural rhythms · Rest your eyes · Peace and quiet
- Food — Focused eating · Vegetarian diet · Eat when hungry · Her simple snacks
- Body and movement — Activity over exercise · Stay sharp · Listen to her body · Traditional Chinese medicine
- Mind and spirit — Open-minded attitude · Views on life and death · Contented mind · Faith and chanting · Seek 80% perfection
Family and relationships
Our family believes that her filial children and children-in-law are one of the reasons she has lived so long — not as a medical claim, but as the love and care we see every day.
1. Filial children
She was a filial daughter herself, and that devotion passed to her children and now to her grandchildren. Surrounded by loving children, children-in-law, and grandchildren, she receives joy and pride, respect and honor, peace of mind, and the comfort of passing on family legacy — the same gifts Childing invites children of all ages to give their parents.
2. Financial independence
She lives with her children, who provide for her needs, and she also keeps her own money. That pocket of independence gives her security and peace of mind.
3. Compassion for all things
She respects food, paper, and household items. She wastes almost nothing. Gratitude, for her, extends even to the ordinary objects that serve us.
Daily rhythm
4. Minimalist life
Possessions take energy. She uses only what she needs. She keeps a few essential things and leaves room for the soul to breathe. She washes her own dishes. At meals, one dish is often cooked to serve two; she skips dinner entirely.
5. Follow natural rhythms
She sunbathes in the morning for about fifteen minutes. She prefers no air conditioning or fans, and she does not eat cold food straight from the fridge. She goes to bed early and rises early. She combs her hair and gently scratches her scalp. She wears warm colors, and she protects her head and neck with hats and scarves.
6. Rest your eyes
She closes her eyes to conserve energy. She avoids overstimulating them with electronics or constant sightseeing. Looking inward, for her, is another way to rest.
7. Peace and quiet
She avoids unnecessary socializing. Fewer conversations, she finds, help her keep focus and preserve her inner energy.
Food
8. Focused eating
Before meals she prays and gives thanks. She eats without distractions — no TV, no talking, no phones. For her, eating with attention is part of how the body digests well.
9. Vegetarian diet
She became vegetarian late in life. Her meals are vegetarian, plus one egg every day: simple vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, and carrots. She prefers plain, bland food — no spices, no strong flavors. This is what she chooses to eat, not a prescription for anyone else.
10. Eat when hungry
She eats only when she is hungry, and she stops at about 80% full. In her view, overeating burdens the organs; stopping a little early protects the stomach's energy. Again, this is her practice.
11. Her simple snacks
Between meals she enjoys a few small things she trusts: mayhaw jelly (which she takes for digestion), pistachios, dried pomelo peel (which she uses when she has a cough), and a tiny spoon of ginseng powder each day for vitality. These are her habits, not recommendations.
Body and movement
12. Activity over exercise
She does not do intense sports. For her, life is in gentle movement: housework, self-massage, and slow walking.
13. Stay sharp
At 99, she can still thread a needle and sew her own clothes. Small, precise tasks, she believes, keep the mind and eyes sharp.
14. Listen to her body
She does not go for medical checkups. She trusts her body's signals more than medical data, and she listens for warnings — adjusting her diet and massages before small issues grow. This is her personal choice. It is not advice to skip care; please follow your doctor's guidance for your own health.
15. Traditional Chinese medicine
She prefers Traditional Chinese Medicine over Western medicine, which she considers too cold in nature and harsh on the body's harmony. She relies on TCM, herbal remedies, meridian massage, and acupressure. That is her path; yours may be different — talk with a qualified practitioner or your doctor.
Mind and spirit
16. Open-minded attitude toward life
"The older I get, the less I know." She is at ease with uncertainty. She has accepted huge life changes — including moving to a foreign country in her 90s — with grace and without fear.
17. Authentic views on life and death
She believes in a good beginning — living an honest, moral life without taking advantage of anyone — and a good end. She hopes for a "good death": passing peacefully in her own bed, without invasive tubes, surgeries, or life support, surrounded by loved ones.
18. Contented mind
She keeps her mind clear and seeks peace and contentment over material things. A quiet mind, she says, leads to a quiet, healthy body.
19. Faith and chanting
She reads scriptures, chants to Buddha, and holds a deep spiritual faith. That faith gives her immense inner peace. She believes that where you go after death matters far more than where you are buried.
20. Seek 80% perfection
She always leaves room for error. She tries not to be too harsh on herself or others. She believes in karma, and she lets go of trying to control everything.
These are our mother's personal habits, shared with love. They are not medical advice. Please talk with your doctor before changing your diet, exercise, or health routine.