What is worth living until 90: a good answer from Brigitte Bardot

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Many people view old age with fear, as synonymous with loneliness, financial difficulties and abandonment.

Why do many of us now associate aging with isolation and despair? Why do older people give up on themselves? Why do people fail to live in old age?

I immediately remembered a scene from a film where a granny in some European country was celebrating her 90th birthday. She was sitting at the head of a long table, surrounded by her five children, fifteen grandchildren and thirty great-grandchildren.

The whole family had gathered to celebrate her milestone birthday. Despite her frailty – she was nearly deaf, her vision was blurred, and her laughter echoed through a toothless smile – she clapped her hands with childish joy as the youngest of her great-grandchildren danced in front of her.

Wasn't it a joy? To see the generations that followed her come together to celebrate, to live a life that blossomed and became so vast and full of love?

Of course, it was hard for her. Raising five children and experiencing all their ups and downs, she must have felt like she was living five lives at once. Helping with the grandchildren, caring, worrying, and enduring all the hardships of life, multiplied by the number of people she loved. It takes strength. It takes resilience.

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And yet here she was, smiling at her family, her life's work embodied in those faces.

But what about those who don't have five children? And what about those who live in cities where families are scattered and often at a distance?

Do you have to leave a legacy of achievements just to earn a happy retirement? Is there no room for a quiet, happy life? For those who don't have children? For those who haven't starred in films, written books, or built bridges? Are they supposed to sit on the sidelines and just wait?

Good answer Brigitte Bardot

The famous French actress Brigitte Bardot once spoke about her struggle with aging. In an interview, she admitted that she had suffered long bouts of depression. Once a global symbol of beauty and desire, Bardot faced a loss of fame, a decline in her physical beauty, and the fact that the attention she once effortlessly attracted was now directed toward younger women. She felt out of place in a world that seemed to belong to others.

"What else should I dream of? What else should I live for? How can I find happiness now?" she asked herself.

The answer came from within. Bardot discovered that life’s greatest joys often lie in the little things – those small moments of beauty and peace that make life worth living. She realized that the meaning of life is not in grand achievements or in being remembered by the masses, but in enjoying the present.

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She said:

"And you need to live for the little things. For the sunrise at five in the morning and the sunset at five in the evening, for road trips with music in your ears and the wind in your hair, for dancing in the rain, for laughing until your stomach hurts.

For the sake of favorite songs and good books, for smiles without a reason, for long conversations, for cookies and tea, for rest after a long hard day, for the sparkle in the eyes.

Live for the stars that see you home. Live for the people who remember that you drink tea without sugar and hate onions. Live for long walks, hugs and new acquaintances.

“To live for those little things that make you feel alive.”

Her wisdom reminded me of what the philosopher Marcus Aurelius once said:

"There is very little that is needed to live a happy life; it is all within you, in your way of thinking."

We can find happiness in things we often take for granted – a morning cup of coffee, a walk in the park, or the joy of seeing old friends.

The truth is, we don't have to be famous, rich, or talented to find meaning in life. It can be found in the simple pleasures that make us feel alive.

Perhaps the secret to aging well is to shift our focus from what we have lost to what we still have – the love, the laughter, the moments of beauty we can still experience.

We may not live to be 100, but we can definitely live a full life, no matter our age, if we learn to appreciate the little things that make life sweet.

What do you think about this? What is worth living to 90 for? Share in the comments!