Ladies, I need to tell you about Sister René Parman, and I need you to sit down first because this woman is about to make every single one of your excuses evaporate like your husband’s ability to find things in the refrigerator.
Sister René just turned 105. Know how she celebrated? Not with a nice quiet cake. Not with a sensible nap. This absolute legend went golfing. GOLFING. And before you say “well, good for her,” let me hit you with the real kicker: she’s legally blind.
Yes, you read that right. This woman cannot see the ball, cannot see the hole, cannot see much of anything really, and she’s out there every single week playing golf like it’s no big deal. Meanwhile, some of us won’t drive after dark because the headlights are “too confusing.”
Passion and Friendship
Now, you might be thinking Sister René was some kind of golf prodigy who’s been playing since childhood. WRONG. This woman didn’t even pick up a club until she was in her 40s. Her golf instruction? And I quote: “Hit the ball.” That’s it. That was the entire lesson plan from her fellow sisters at the Humility of Mary convent. No seven-part video series. No $200-an-hour pro. Just “hit the ball.” She’s been doing exactly that for 65 years, which means she has literally been golfing longer than some of us have been alive. No pressure.
But here’s where it gets really good. Sister René doesn’t just casually golf despite being legally blind – she has a SYSTEM. She rolls up to Knoll Run Golf Course in Lowellville, Ohio, with her fellowship of slightly younger nuns (probably spring chickens in their 80s), and they act as her seeing-eye golf buddies. They tell her where the ball landed, how far to the hole, and she picks her club accordingly. As she puts it, “Without them, I could not golf.”
Honestly? This is friendship goals. Forget brunch – real friends tell you exactly how far your golf ball is from the hole when you can’t see it yourself.
How She Got to 105
When asked about her secret to living past 105, Sister René doesn’t credit some fancy Mediterranean diet or expensive supplements. Nope. It’s golf. “I love to do it, and I think it’s wonderful exercise. It’s the one thing that kept me going as well as I have.” So apparently the fountain of youth isn’t yoga, or Pilates, or whatever wellness influencers are selling this week. It’s having a passion for something and pursuing it with all you’ve got.
She also describes the golf course as “a wonderful place to be – very meditative.” While we’re all paying $30 a month for meditation apps that we forget to use, Sister René found enlightenment at the driving range for the price of a round of golf. This woman is out here living in 3025 while we’re stuck in 2025.
What Is Our Excuse?
Let’s be real for a second. If a 105-year-old woman who literally cannot see is getting out there weekly to do something she loves, what exactly is our excuse? “My knees hurt”? Sister René has knees that remember the Great Depression. “I don’t have time”? This woman has been a nun for 87 years – you think her schedule is empty? “I’m too old to learn something new”? SISTER RENÉ STARTED AT 40.
The beautiful thing about Sister René’s story isn’t just that she golfs despite being 105 and legally blind. It’s that she clearly gives zero consideration to what she “should” be doing at her age. Society says 105-year-olds should be sitting quietly somewhere, maybe doing a gentle crossword puzzle or waiting for life to end. Sister René says “hold my rosary beads” and heads to the golf course.
She’s not pretending the limitations aren’t there. She needs help, and she accepts it without shame. She can’t see, so her friends become her eyes. She’s adapted, found workarounds, and refused to let a little thing like being unable to see stop her from doing what brings her joy.
So here’s my challenge to every woman reading this: What’s your golf? What’s the thing you’ve been putting off because you’re “too old” or it’s “too late” or you “can’t” for whatever reason? Because I guarantee Sister René has a more legitimate excuse than you do, and she’s out there swinging anyway.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go sign up for that pottery class I’ve been saying I’ll take “someday.” Sister René has shamed me into it, and honestly, I’m not even mad about it.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
What activity do you enjoy so much that you strive to do it as often as you can? In what ways does it enrich your life? Or do you instead find yourself making excuses to start anything new? What’s really stopping you from exploring a passion?
