A world that feels heavier
Van Dyke also described how global events weigh on him. After surviving two California wildfires — one the worst in the region’s history — he said it’s been difficult to stay positive.
“Recent and unfolding current events could turn anyone sour,” he wrote, adding that political chaos and destructive leadership worldwide have left him disheartened. “Daily, I spiral into anguish over the mayhem and cruelty… So yes, I suppose at certain times I am the grumpy old man who yells at the TV.”
The quiet loneliness of outliving everyone
One of the most heartbreaking realities of reaching 99, he shared, is that he has outlived nearly everyone he once held close. His first wife and the mother of his four children, Margie Willett, passed in 2008. Michelle Triola, his partner of more than 30 years, died in 2009.
“Every single one of my dearest lifelong friends is gone, which feels just as lonely as it sounds,” he wrote.
But he also made it clear: loneliness and sadness don’t define him — they’re only moments he moves through, not a reflection of who he is.
The love that keeps him young
Van Dyke credits one person above all for keeping his spirit bright: his wife, Arlene, 54.
“Without question, our ongoing romance is the most important reason I have not withered away into a hermetic grouch,” he said.
Despite the age difference, their relationship has been a steady source of joy, friendship, and vitality.
“Arlene is half my age, and she makes me feel somewhere between two thirds and three quarters my age,” he joked.
Life as a ‘giant playground’
Even with grief, age, and global turmoil, the Emmy- and Tony-winning icon still carries the optimism that made the world fall in love with him.
“No one is genetically miserable,” he wrote. “We all have the capacity for a joyful life.”
He credits his longevity to pushing back against bitterness, refusing to surrender to fear or sadness, and choosing happiness whenever he can.
“I’ve been in what I can only describe as a full-on bear hug with the experience of living,” he reflected. “Not like a job — but like a giant playground.”
A softer chapter, not a final one
As Dick Van Dyke reaches the extraordinary milestone of 100, he steps into a quieter, more reflective era — guided by honesty, love, humor, and gratitude. The spotlight may not be as bright as it once was, but the warmth of his spirit is stronger than ever.