Imagine being 100 years old. Imagine living for a whole century, through war and peace, joy and sadness, love and loss.
She was born in 1925, just after World War I. Austria was a broken country, and life was not easy. People had little, but they kept going. Then, in 1938, Nazi Germany took over. She was just 13. Soon after, World War II began. Bombs fell. People were scared. Some ran. Some disappeared. She saw it all as a young girl.
After the war ended in 1945, Austria was destroyed. But people rebuilt. And slowly, life returned. By 1955, Austria was free again. That was a happy day.
In the 60s and 70s, Austria became modern. Life got better. Maybe she bought her first television. More women started working. Children had brighter futures. Austria became known for its peace, music, and mountains.
In 1995, Austria joined the European Union. The world was changing fast. The internet came. Mobile phones. Life moved quicker than ever before.
She lived through it all. Her life is like a storybook...full of real history, full of strength.
When I first met her at the nursing home, she was graceful, always with her makeup on, her jewelry shining, and her spirit glowing. Every morning, she went for a walk. She talked about the past, especially the war, and what it taught her. She had a light in her eyes.
She once told me that after the war, she got married. Her husband didn’t want her to work—he said they had enough money. But she wanted more from life. She wanted to work, to feel alive. So she did. And she said those were the best years of her life.
When her husband passed away, she chose to come to the nursing home. Not because she needed care...but because she didn’t want to be alone. She loved being around people.
Over the 10 years here, she lost many friends. That's the truth of a nursing home—people go. Sometimes fast, sometimes slowly. But she always visited them. Even when they couldn’t speak anymore, she sat by their side and talked.
Two years ago, she told me she didn’t think she’d make it to 100. But today… she did. We sang for her. We gave her flowers and cake. But she didn’t react. She didn’t know it was her birthday.
A year ago, her body slowly gave up. She stopped walking, then stopped talking. Her memory faded until nothing was left. The beautiful woman who once laughed, walked, and told stories, now lays in bed. Still breathing. But not truly living.
In the last 10 years, only five people in our home made it to 100. One of them surprised us all...still walking with help, smiling every day. But she died in her sleep, peacefully, just six months later.
So I ask you this:
Can you imagine being 100 years old?
Can you imagine living for so long… seeing the world change again and again?
What did you see through your life?
What powerful, world-changing events shaped your soul?
And then… tell me this:
Would you want to be 100 if it meant being in bed, sick, unaware of your surroundings?
Or would you rather leave this world peacefully, before your body forgets what life feels like?
I’ve said it many times:
I don’t want to be alive if I can no longer feel alive.
I don’t want to watch life slowly slip away while I lay still, unable to move, unable to remember.
What about you? What do you say?
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”
– Abraham Lincoln
With love, @tinabrezpike ❤️
Beautiful story, if life gives you sadness, satisfaction, reading your story and reflecting on the questions, it gives me a feeling of sadness reaching 100 years old, and being alone without my family by my side, of course there is a lot to experience in that time, blessings
It's hard to watch when your children pass away before you do. She has one son left, while she has already lost two. Another woman who reached 100 lost her entire family, but she remained incredibly positive throughout her life. Despite having smoked her whole life, she was remarkably healthy. It's also interesting to see people in their 70s who have eaten healthily, exercised, and never smoked, yet still die so soon. I take care of a 96-year-old man who still smokes a pack a day, and he’s in great health. We witness a lot of these contrasts in this profession. Thank you for stopping by!
Yes, it is a very complex situation, and I congratulate you for the love you show for your profession. Blessings.
Thank u ☺️