When you meet an exceptional person, celebrate with them. My wife and I recently met just such a person. We were out to dinner celebrating my wife’s birthday.

 At the table next to ours, an elderly woman was celebrating her own birthday. She was seated with her back to us. As both tables were being served a birthday dessert, we went over to say hello. She turned to welcome us and said, “I am 100 years old today.”   

her clear eyes and smooth skin were features usually seen in a much younger person. Her strong voice delivered a well-spoken greeting. We spent several minutes talking.

She offered this in explaining her healthy longevity. “At the age of 90 I decided that I needed a purpose to my life. What am I here to accomplish? I decided that my mission would be to teach those around me the importance of loving others. I do that every day with people that I meet.” As she was leaving, she turned to us and said, “remember to love others.”

In a world where division and hate seem to prevail, her words and deeds call for urgent consideration. We need to make love the rule and not the exception.

I had never met a 100-year-old before but will seek that privilege again. And when I meet that person, I expect to discover that they have identified and acted upon a reason for living. We all need a raison d’être.