blake
You’ve undoubtedly heard about the recent death of Kane Tanaka, the Japanese woman who held the Guinness World Record for being the world’s oldest living person. After a long, wonderful life full of eating and doing the things she loved most, Tanaka passed away at 119 years old. And now, following Tanaka’s passing, a 118-year-old French nun whose name was Sister André holds the Guinness World Record.
Of course, it’s only natural to be curious about André’s life in case there are any significant longevity secrets hidden within it, especially given that she even survived getting COVID-19 in 2021!
However, it appears that her secrets to a long life are in the basic things: assisting others and indulging in her favorite foods and beverages on a daily basis.
Sister André was born in 1904 and spent her early life in the south of France. The bulk of Randon’s life has been devoted to assisting others, particularly through her religious vocation as a Catholic nun. According to CNN, prior to becoming a nun, she had spent close to 30 years working in a hospital caring for the elderly and orphans, something she began during World War II.
Her desire to assist others, which became Sister André’s aim in life, has given her a long-term purpose throughout her entire existence. She spoke with reporters at her hospice in Toulan, where she explained that working hard to assist people is one of her secrets to longevity.
“Work is said to kill people,” Sister André remarked. “For me, work kept me alive; I continued working until I was 108 years old. People should assist and love each other, rather than hating. If we shared all of this, the world would be a much better place.”
This is no surprise if you know something about Blue Zones, which are the 5 parts of the world with the highest levels of centenarians. Among the list of shared habits that a lot of the people in these areas have, having a life’s purpose and devoting yourself to your community ranks highest in importance for them.
But Sister André also knew a thing or two about enjoying herself. In fact, one nursing said that she loved drinking wine and that she treats herself with one glass of wine each day!
