JP/Riand AlfiandyCosmetic dermatologist and businesswoman Retno Iswari Tranggono has lived a long life full of wonders, which she attributes to the grace of God
JP/Riand Alfiandy
Cosmetic dermatologist and businesswoman Retno Iswari Tranggono has lived a long life full of wonders, which she attributes to the grace of God.
At the age of 80, cosmetic dermatologist and businesswoman Retno Iswari Tranggono is counting her blessings, whether in the form of what she believes is divine intervention or simple opportunities borne out of happenstance.
The founder of cosmetic company Ristra Group just launched her new biography, Spread the Love: Kilau Mutiara di Ujung Senja (Pearl’s Luster at the Tip of Twilight), in Jakarta.
She said the book came out of her wish that, at 80 years old, she back away from her business to embrace God.
Born on Nov. 17, 1939, in Jakarta, Retno grew up in wartime Indonesia, moving from one city to another as a displaced person along with her family.
She was actually born Ratna Içwari, which means “diamond empress” in the Kawi (Old Javanese) language, before earning her current name at the age of 12, simply because it is much easier to pronounce.
Retno has spoken often of her blessings, even before her birth.
“In 1939, my mother was hospitalized at Budi Kemuliaan Hospital in Tanah Abang [in Central Jakarta]. I was the only one out of six other siblings to be born in a hospital because of my mother’s sickness, but thank God, I was able to be saved,” she recalled.
Perhaps because of this and her diminutive stature, her siblings used to tease her by saying she was “switched at birth”. She often got into fights with her younger sister Titik, but the two were usually quick to make up.
Aside from her birth, Retno recalls many moments in which she felt blessed by God, including several near-death situations.
When she was in sekolah rakyat, as primary schools were called during the Japanese occupation, she saw flyers being thrown out of a car. Retno ran to the middle of the road to pick them up when a speeding truck that was directly behind her managed to break and avoid hitting her. She considers the incident a sort of divine miracle.
Another close call came in 1968, when Retno was a newly hired dermatologist at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital. As she was heading home using a becak (three-wheeled pedicab), a speeding car crashed into her. She was not injured and continued her trip home on a damaged becak.
For Retno, other blessings in her life came in the form of opportunities.
“Throughout my life, the hand of God has guided me, including in academics. After graduating high school, I was at a loss as to where to continue my education. Had I studied out of town, it would have incurred extra costs.”
In the end, Retno enrolled at the University of Indonesia’s School of Medicine. Out of 1,500 applicants, only 150 made the list. Not only was she accepted, she received a scholarship from the government.
“Truly, God’s grace is real,” said Retno, who eventually cofounded the school’s Cosmetic Dermatology division in 1970.
Retno met her husband Suharto Tranggono through her studies, as he was her senior and a student council member. The two met at a YMCA event in 1960 and, by 1963, they were married.
The couple founded their own cosmetics company, Ristra, in 1983. The name Ristra is a portmanteau of parts of their names, Retno Iswari and Tranggono.
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