My dear grandmother is 100 years old. Her mind is in perfect condition and she remembers things she should have forgotten long ago. She has no heart problems, kidney issues, diabetes, or hereditary conditions. Nevertheless, her body is very weak, and it is extremely difficult for her to get out of bed. Going to the bathroom, washing herself, or eating on her own is an odyssey for her. In her simplicity and humility, she always repeats the same phrase. She says, “God has forgotten me and does not call me. He does not love me.”

Her comment might seem arrogant or blasphemous to us. Yet, only someone who is 100 years old can truly understand it. They must endure another 24 hours of the loneliness of old age. They also face the countless ailments of the body.

Many of us want to live a long life as if the body and mind would never deteriorate. As if youth were a right that would never end. The truth is, we do not know what our old age will be like. Nor do we know if we will even reach that stage. We must accept that God takes us from this world when it is our time. It won’t be a minute sooner, nor a minute later. We must treasure and live the present to the fullest. We should choose to be happy every minute. That is the only certainty we have.

The secret of a good old age is simply an honorable pact with solitude.

Gabriel García Marquez