Selfhelp Resident Adele Lerner, 103

Excerpted from a video blog by Adele Lerner

 

The Selfhelp family had cause for celebration on January 5th, with the 103rd birthday party of Adele Lerner, resident of Selfhelp’s Martin Lande House. Adele lives alone and is practically homebound. Sounds like a bleak situation, right? Wrong! Adele is among the happiest, most fulfilled individuals one could ever imagine meeting. In fact, most people have never seen her without a smile on her face. Perhaps more remarkable than her years is her amazing zest for living. As a senior, Adele graduated from college (at 83), became an accomplished painter (beginning at age 60), studied to become a Bat Mitzvah and learned to use the computer (both in her 90s). In fact she now creates video blogs and uses a web cam to communicate with her family on a regular basis.

 

Adele’s daughter, Harriet, explains, “My mother believes she has been given the blessing of long life to help others. She wants people to know that life doesn’t just end when old age sets in. They can still learn, be involved and help others.” Says Adele, “I feel that it’s never too late. If you don’t know something, go and try to learn it every day until it comes to you.”

And what did Adele do after her birthday bash? She created a video blog, of course! 

 

Here is an excerpt:

 

“This is Adele Lerner. I’d like to tell you a little about myself. First of all, I’m 103. Very old. But I don’t feel that old, when I do new things. I like it here. I had a beautiful birthday party. I was so surprised. So many people came….We should get together and learn from eachother. That’s what I love.” 1/20/10