When we’re young, the furthest thing from our minds is getting old. However, it seems the older we do get, the more we realize our mortality. But sometimes, hearing about someone much older than we are can be inspiring. Such was the case for me recently.
Have you heard about Jose and Agnes? No, they’re not married, and I assume they don’t even know each other. They’re both in the “Centennial Club,” if there is such a club.
Jose Aguinelo dos Santos lives in Brazil. He was born on July 7, 1888! At the age of 126, he is believed to be the oldest living human being on the earth. Last I heard they are verifying his birth certificate, which they believe is authentic.
An article from the website The Telegraph said, “Mariana Silva, psychologist at the Vila Vicentina home, said Jose has no health problems and is so lucid he still amuses other residents by cracking one-liners.”
She said: “He’s one of our most with-it residents. He doesn’t have high cholesterol, diabetes or high blood pressure. The only medicine he takes are vitamins and a tablet to give him an appetite, which you can lose with old age.”
Jose is quoted in the article as saying, “The truth is that you just keep getting older. You take each stage at a time. If I got to this age it’s because I’ve lived a lot, that’s all.”
After reading that article, I felt pretty darn young compared to Jose! It really was inspiring to hear of someone that age still enjoying life. Then, a couple of days later, I heard about Agnes.
Agnes McKee is 105 and lives in Oceanside, California. She was invited by the San Diego Padres to throw out the first pitch in a game with the New York Mets, on July 20th, making her the oldest person ever to do that at a MLB game. This link has a video.
What I found both remarkable and inspiring is that she practiced ahead of time!
An online article in the Christian Post said, “McKee prepared for her first pitch by stretching every day, and regularly exercised with Wii Bowling, indoor skydiving, ballroom dancing and other activities. She also joined the morning exercise class at her retirement community, Fairwinds, in Oceanside, California.
“She is just a constant inspiration for people,” said Thomas Fraser, who has been helping McKee practice pitching at Fairwinds. “Everyone always wants to be in her group for bridge.”
Again, for me, it is inspiring to see a couple of people over a hundred years old enjoying life. It encourages me to enjoy the life God has given me today. And why not?
Why not live life today doing the best to enjoy every minute of it, being thankful for what you have, knowing that when Christ returns, we are going to live forever!
Mike Verdicchio
2014
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