This photo was taken just before Berthe and Roland’s 70th wedding anniversary. The couple was still very much in love and enjoyed spending time together simply living life. Berthe has since passed away, leaving her family, friends and Roland in mourning. No matter what they were doing—social dance, getting involved with social causes or stamp collecting—what mattered most was that they were doing it together. Berthe later confessed to Roland that she never liked collecting stamps, but she did it to spend more time with him. 

 During the photo shoot, Berthe and Roland were constantly teasing each other, and began social dancing, something they’d been doing since they were young. This joyful and candid photo highlights their pleasure in growing old together.  

 Roland, now 101, says he has never stopped keeping busy and enjoying life despite the pandemic. “I’m doing very well with the lockdowns; I practice my violin, tend to my stamp collection, walk around my apartment, read the newspaper, do research on the Internet and visit with my family on Zoom. To keep spirits up, I advise everyone to live one day at a time and, most importantly, to keep busy.” 

 Roland’s vitality and joie de vivre are an inspiration to many—Radio-Canada and HuffPost have featured Roland and his positive attitude and love for life in portraits on aging. 

Links to these articles: 

 Velcchi, E. (January 13, 2021). À 99 ans, il survit à la COVID et son message est une vraie inspiration. [At 99, he survived COVID and his message is truly inspiring.] HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/archive/qc/entry/con_qc_5ffeffdbc5b66f3f79630c7a

Moulin, A. (February 8, 2021). La vieillesse magnifiée à travers l’objectif d’une photographe de la Montérégie. [Old age magnified through the lens of a photographer from the Montérégie.] Radio-Canada. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1769178/photographie-vieillesse-anik-moulin-estrie-arianne-clement