My Name Is Maria Elisa, and I Am 100 Years Old Today
My name is Maria Elisa, and today—by the grace of God—I turn 100 years old. One hundred years. It feels almost impossible to put into words what this moment means to me. I never imagined I would live to see this day, and yet here I am. Still breathing, still smiling, still holding on to faith.
I don’t have any family around me. Many of the people I once loved deeply have already gone to rest, and the faces of my childhood now live only in memories. The silence can be heavy some days, and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t lonely. But today—today was different.
Today, I felt surrounded. Not by people in the room, but by love—by the kind words, messages, and prayers that so many of you sent. I felt your kindness, and it warmed my heart in a way that brought tears to my eyes. So to every single soul who remembered me, even for a moment—thank you. Thank you for reminding me that I am not forgotten. That I still matter. That I am loved.
I’ve seen a lot in my 100 years. I’ve seen war and peace. Laughter and sorrow. Births and goodbyes. I’ve seen the world change in ways I never imagined. But through it all, the one constant in my life has been God’s mercy. Without Him, I would not be here today. He has carried me when I was weak, comforted me when I was alone, and given me peace in my heart when life was heavy.
So I celebrate this day not just as my birthday, but as a testament to grace. To survival. To faith. And to the beautiful truth that even when you feel alone—you are not truly alone.
May God be with you all, just as He has been with me.
