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On a latest jaunt to the market, I encountered my highschool buddy, now a metropolis dweller, visiting our hometown. As I ended to have a chat, he divulged his efforts to pave a small a part of his mom’s entrance yard, enabling her to vend refreshments for monetary sustenance.
Our in-depth dialogue uncovered his routine of remitting VND3 million to his mom post-marriage, aiding her in masking utility bills and saving a modest sum for unexpected wants, amidst the decrease residing prices of rural life. His mom had as soon as operated a vegetable stand, frequented by me, however ceased a number of years in the past, citing age and her kids’s choice in opposition to her market labor.
Nonetheless, as his and his spouse’s city enterprise faltered, the constant VND3 million monetary support to his mom emerged as a pressure, because it consumed half their enterprise rental expense. Whereas they have been prosperous, they may effortlessly help his mom. Nonetheless, present struggles have heightened his spouse’s stress, significantly when juxtaposing her mother and father’ salaried, pension-secured retirement in opposition to her mother-in-law’s state of affairs.
Observing his spouse’s insistence on equitable monetary help to her mother and father, tensions and arguments have steadily erupted between my buddy and his spouse. Consequently, he felt compelled to recommend the small enterprise enterprise to his mom as a necessity, regardless of describing it as “actually embarrassing.”
Previous to parting, I suggested my buddy to strategy his mom with tenderness to keep away from potential emotional hurt for her.
My intention is not to critique my buddy’s familial dynamics, but I feel this state of affairs mirrors potential future predicaments for a lot of. With Vietnam experiencing speedy inhabitants getting old, it is projected to transition from “getting old” to “aged” standing by 2036, with over 25% of its populace being 60 or older by 2050.
Regardless of that, pension attainment stays elusive for varied people, together with these middle-aged and jobless as many amongst them depend on single-time social safety payouts.
Moreover, cultural norms incline in direction of aged dependency on offspring, leading to many seniors having to work of their later years in the event that they discover themselves unable to depend on their kids, as is the case with my buddy’s mom.
This constitutes my viewpoint. What are your ideas?