VICTORIA, Seychelles — Mme May Michel of Brillant celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday, in the warm atmosphere of her family. “We were inseparable. I continue to pray to God for him and I am sure that God has a good place for him,” she said, recalling her late husband, with emotion.
Despite the difficulties of life, Mme Michel has shown incredible resilience. Orphaned by her mother at a young age, she stopped school to work as a domestic helper. She then had three children: Patrick, Gérard, and Bertha. “I lost my two boys and my daughter now lives in Italy. It has been 42 years since I have lived in Brillant. Life was good before but life now is very hard. Everything is very expensive,” she noted. Today, Mme Michel shares her home with one of her grandchildren and receives help from a caregiver during the day.
At 100, she remains lucid and full of wisdom. Her secret for staying in shape? A simple and traditional diet. “I love to eat gro manze such as potato, cassava, breadfruit. But these days, I don’t have the desire to eat too much. I have not eaten mal gas for a long time. I have never been sick, I have always rendered service to others.” Beyond her biological family, Mme Michel has also welcomed and offered her love to several children from the neighbourhood, who consider her their second mother. She counts six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren (bizaeules).
