One Day at a Time in Malta

 

Mary Gauci is, by all accounts, amazing. She does her own grocery shopping, cooks fresh food every day, cleans her home, washes her clothes, walks unassisted, and can still climb a steep flight of stairs to her roof. Even she can’t believe she’s 100 and has no idea how she reached that age. She just takes things one day at a time in Malta.

Getting it Done

Mary doesn’t feel like she’s 100. She visits her neighbors and gets all of her work done before noon each day so that she can take a nap. When she wakes, she recites the rosary, does a few more chores, prepares dinner, and ends the evening watching game shows on Italian TV while sipping tea and eating fruit.

She takes no medicine and has no illnesses. She’s never followed a diet and loves to eat cakes and sweets. She even drinks alcohol on occasion. She never smoked or ate junk food, but she never exercised either.

These are the Good Old Days

Her mind is sharp, and she has a lucid memory. But unlike other older people in her community, she is not nostalgic for the good old days. She remembers life before cars and so many people living in her community as being hard. She thinks things are better now.

Mary never married and never had children. She took care of her aunt until she passed and worked. Born in the UK, Mary’s last remaining sister out of 14 siblings still lives in the UK.

Have Faith

One interesting thing is that despite living through the war, Mary doesn’t believe she had a particularly difficult life. During the war she had a job at a local bakery, so she and her aunt always had fresh bread.

However, it’s her faith that has played a major role in Mary’s life. A devout Catholic, Mary prays and recites the rosary daily. Although she does sometimes feel lonely, Mary believes that God has never left her alone because she has the company of good neighbors and friends, all of whom helped her celebrate her 100th birthday with a surprise party.

If you want to learn more about Mary and her amazing healthy longevity story, click here. You can even see her climbing up the flight of stairs. It’s all just part of how she takes one day at a time in Malta.