Yesterday, was my my grammie's 100th birthday! It honestly feels surreal to even type that. I say that as a very obviously biased granddaughter, but anyone who knows her would describe her as kind, gracious, thoughtful, loving, and wise.
When I think about everything she has seen in her lifetime, it is almost impossible to comprehend. The world she was born into looks nothing like the one we live in now. She has lived through wars, economic shifts, technological revolutions, cultural changes, heartbreak, joy, celebrations, ordinary days, and everything in between.
To put 100 years into perspective a little more, when my grammie was born in 1926, a loaf of bread cost less than 10 cents, movie tickets were about a quarter, and Winnie-the-Pooh had just been published. Route 66 did not even exist yet. I also had to look up other notable people born in that same year, and here is a shortlist: Queen Elizabeth II, Marilyn Monroe, Miles Davis, Tony Bennett, and Harper Lee.
There is a long list of things I admire about my Grammie, and one of those things is her calming demeanor. She never seems frantic. She has never seemed consumed by rushing through life. She always seems to soak in the slowness of the day.
As I get older, and especially now, right after her birthday, I have thought about this more and more.
Growing up, I always noticed that my grammie always took the time to sit down and write the thank-you note. She always remembered people's names, their families, birthdays, anniversaries, and more. She would make every dinner feel special by setting a pretty table. She would have a glass of iced tea in the afternoon and set it out in a beautiful pitcher with a little bowl of lemons and packets of sugar. She always made things feel like moments instead of rushing through the motions. The way I forever picture my grammie is sitting peacefully in a comfortable chair with a book in her hands, and even when I see her now, that's exactly what she is doing.
A few weeks ago, I Googled how many Americans are 100 or older. The number shocked me, as it was much lower than I had expected. In case you are wondering,
this article from Pew Research estimates that there are just 101,000ish centenarians living in the US.
I spend so much time trying to 'optimize' life. Work, productivity, wellness, relationships, you name it, I am trying to make it all fit together like a completed puzzle. And sometimes, when the puzzle pieces don't fit together perfectly, I stress myself out.
I think in 2026, many people can relate to the quest for life optimization. In part, our generation has been blessed with all the knowledge we could ever want right at our fingertips, and to some extent, I think that has helped many of us in many facets of our lives, including learning to better care for ourselves. Knowledge is power.
Over the next few days and weeks, I thought about this 101,000 number a lot. My great-grandmother lived to 97, my great-grandfather lived to over 100, and now my grandmother. Naturally, I assume genetics plays a major role in how long you live (and it does), but I also know that a lot of what you do in life (or don't do) can heavily impact your longevity.
As I thought about my grammie turning 100, I wondered what else goes into living to 100 besides genetics. Surely, it cannot be all of the chocolate that Grammie loves?! What I found is that researchers who study people who live into their 90s and 100s consistently point to factors such as movement, community, purpose, routine, and lower chronic stress as important contributors to longevity.
It turns out there is no secret (chocolate) sauce (sadly), but rather steady habits over decades.
I think my grammie naturally embodied so many of those things long before anyone was even studying them. My grammie is rarely angered, always joyful, and to this day has wonderful friends.
We always had long conversations around the dinner table and lots of family dinners. She spent time outside, not even being active, but rather just sitting in the moment. She and my grandpa went on dates, activities, and outings with friends. They had such a big social circle. When grammie was ironing, she was just ironing, not trying to tackle 100 other tasks at once.
There is always less urgency and more presence when I am around Grammie.
Now, granted, I only knew my grandparents later in their lives and when my grandpa was retired, but I do think it is something her generation holds that younger generations may want to take note of: slowness.
When I think about my grammie, she has shown me, for the last 36 years of my life, that there is another way to move through life. A slower, calmer way. A way that makes space to actually experience your life while you are living it. This is, of course, completely anecdotal, but I have to wonder if that contributed to her reaching 100. Of course, we will never know.
I know stress is something I personally work on all of the time, particularly anxiety. I am often the cause of my own stress. I put so much pressure on myself. Historically, it has propelled me forward and rewarded me. On the other hand, I sometimes wonder at what cost?
And maybe this matters more than I realized.
Of course, genetics plays a role too. Longevity definitely seems to run in parts of my family, which I do not take for granted. But I also think there is something to be said for the emotional environment we create around ourselves over the course of a lifetime.
Of course, you simply cannot control it all, and so much in life is beyond our own hands (I think Grammie is just innately calmer than I'll ever be), but a life with less urgency and more connection, presence, and appreciation for ordinary days is what I am striving for.
Reaching 100 is obviously extraordinary. But I think what makes Grammie's birthday so emotional for me is that it is also a testament to thousands and thousands of ordinary moments, a life woven together across an entire century. I've taken notes, and I strive to be half the woman my grammie is!
And what a gift it is that we get to celebrate with her. Love you so much, Grammie!
