104-Year-Old Bisabuela Celebrates Daughter’s 82nd Birthday, Credits Long Life to ‘Staying Single’
A 104-year-old bisabuela, lovingly referred to as Abuela Reca, just celebrated her oldest daughter’s 82nd birthday in Santa Marta, Colombia.
The special birthday party is going viral on social media, with one TikTok user putting it like this: “Whoever grows old alongside their mother has everything in life.”
Watch Abuela Reca, otherwise known as Recareda Castillo de Nuñez, dancing and laughing through life with her 82-year-old daughter, Melba Núñez de Urbina, here. As Abuela Reca’s great-granddaughter, Daniela Jarma Urbina, explained to mitú, “More than mother and daughter, they are best friends.”
And well, the proof is in the pudding… or arroz con leche:
mitú sat down with proud nieta and bisnieta Jarma Urbina to talk about her abuela and bisabuela’s loving relationship, and share more about Abuela Reca’s life.
One thing we’re definitely writing in our inspiration journals? The 104-year-old says she has lived for long “because she doesn’t have a husband or anyone that will screw up her life.” Noted!
Abuela Reca sees her 82-year-old daughter everyday, they are also “best friends”
Once we watched Jarma Urbina’s unique TikTok videos about her bisabuela and abuela, we had to dig deeper. Just imagine being able to grow old alongside your mother. Would it be intense? Oh yes. But for many people, it would also be amazing… a bendición, even:
As Jarma Urbina wrote on TikTok, her great-grandmother, Abuela Reca, has seven children, 15 grandchildren, and the family has “lost count” at how many great-grandchildren. Today, her children range in age from 82 years old to 61 years old — but she seems to have a very special bond with her oldest.
“They see each other everyday,” the proud granddaughter told mitú. “They don’t live in the same house, but their houses are two blocks away from each other.”
She added, “My grandmother visits my great-grandmother every afternoon. They have a very, very close relationship.”
We’re actually swooning over one more detail, so you’re welcome: “They also play cards together for hours on the weekend.” Could there be anything cuter? Well, both of them laughing about “getting old” is pretty cute, too:
About both her abuela and bisabuela, Jarma Urbina described, “They are both happy women, they love to dance.” Still, she says that her 104-year-old great-grandmother has a few extra tricks up her sleeve for staying young. “She is a woman that never drank a drop of alcohol and never smoked a cigarette.”
She does have one little weakness, though: “She loves eat sweets, she eats a lot of sweets.” As long as we can keep our flan and tres leches, we’re good!
Incredibly, the great-granddaughter also shared a photo of her Abuela Reca with her daughter, Melba Núñez de Urbina, when she was just a baby:
About her Abuela Reca’s past, Jarma Urbina explained, “My great-grandmother became separated from her husband at 45 and went to live alone in Bogotá [Colombia] with her youngest daughters.”
“Later, she returned to Santa Marta [Colombia] which is where she currently lives,” the great-granddaughter added.
Here is Abuela Reca blowing out her candles on her 104th birthday… and dancing with all her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren (a lot of dancing!):
Our inspiration for today, though? Abuela Reca telling all of us why we need to stay single.
“Nothing. You, alone, will lead your life. You, alone, spend your money how you want.” Preach!
So, staying single keeps you this energetic, sharp, and independent at 104 years old? Count us sold!
