The Importance of Family

Judith

In late July I traveled to Long Beach, California to celebrate my aunt Helen's 103rd birthday. I was able to also spend time with my cousin and her daughter. Because we live about 1500 miles apart, we don't see each other very often. I do try (and usually succeed) in writing a newsy family letter once a month because they don't do emails and we seem to miss each other with phone calls.



Christy and her Employee of the Month Notice

When I arrived Sunday, the party was in full swing. About 50 people filled the area sitting on folding chairs, steps, and around the table on the patio. People had brought cards, food, flowers, and gifts to help Helen celebrate.

This was my first time to see the completed landscaping of the courtyard area of the apartment complex. What I noticed immediately was the walkway had been moved to run closer to the building and that allowed for the space to create gathering and bar-b-que area.

My cousin's daughter, Christy, is a whiz with party planning, food prep, etc. and she outdid herself for her granny. The BBQ pulled pork she made was Amazing! She made sure her granny had carrot cake with cream cheese icing, Helen's favorite and she created a masterpiece by adding fresh blueberries and something magical to a store bought lemon bundt cake.

I don't have pictures of the party and feast, but I do of the new courtyard!

If I Live To Be 103

Judith Ashley

If I live to be 103 years of age I'll have reached the same age as my maternal aunt, Helen. She is a remarkable woman, living in her own apartment with Callie, her dog. Her daughter and granddaughter live nearby and check on her every day.

When I visited with her the end of July, she told me that she has chores she's assigned herself. She makes her own bed every day and washes up her dishes. She also fixes something simple for breakfast and fancies up her daily delivery from Meals On Wheels.
No longer driving due, in part, to failing eyesight, she still knits T-shirts for a Church project, listens to the news, and keeps up with reading Reader's Digest Condensed Books along with correspondence from family and friends. Her apartment is up a flight of stairs and she managed to go up and down them as well, if not better than I did.



Aunt Helen

 

I've always thought I wanted to live to be 103 and if that happens, I want to be like my aunt!

If you were to live to be 100 (or 103) would that be a good thing or not?

What would be the best part of living that long?