VIE
There are things in our memory that seem long forgotten, yet return at some point—quietly and naturally. For Ms. Sau, who lives in Ben Tre, noni is one of those things. Not because someone reminded her, but because, at a different stage of life, she began to see things more slowly and more closely.
Once Familiar, Yet Rarely Noticed
Ms. Sau lives in a small commune in the Mekong Delta, where home gardens are always full of different plants and fruits. Noni was there too—growing in a corner of the garden, near the edge of a small canal. But back then, it was never something she paid much attention to.
She remembers that older people used it from time to time—sometimes boiling it for drinking, sometimes drying it, sometimes soaking it in wine. But as a child, she remembered only one thing: the smell was quite strong, so she would usually stay away.
Then life moved on. She started working, took care of her family, and went through the different phases of life. Things like noni gradually faded into a distant memory, no longer part of her everyday routine.
When Life Begins to Slow Down
After her 60s, as work became lighter and her children were settled, she found herself with more time. Nothing dramatic happened—she simply no longer felt the need to rush as she once did.
She began paying attention to small daily habits again. Eating more simply. Living more regularly. And one day, while tidying up an old corner of the garden, she noticed the noni tree she had once overlooked.
From that moment, old memories began to return. Not in clear detail, but enough to recall that people used it naturally in the past, without much thought.
Returning to an Old Habit, Gently
She decided to try it again—without any specific method, without making it complicated. Just using ripe fruit, preparing it in a way that felt convenient, and drinking it as a simple part of her day.
At first, she still noticed the smell. But over time, it no longer mattered as much. In fact, she said it gradually became more comfortable, no longer “unpleasant” like it felt when she was younger.
It wasn’t that noni had changed—perhaps it was her way of sensing things that had changed.
A Simple Feeling, Without Needing Much Explanation
Ms. Sau does not speak much about benefits. When asked, she simply smiles and says she is not sure whether it is because of noni or not—only that lately her body feels lighter, and she enjoys her meals a bit more.
But what she speaks about more is the feeling of maintaining this habit. Something familiar. Not complicated. Not something that requires too much thought.
Perhaps, after many years, what she has found again is not just noni, but a simpler way of living—closer to what once was. And in that way of living, noni is only a small part, yet enough to make everything slow down just a little.
— Recorded by the My An Team —
