A Short Guide To A Long Life - Reflecting on 101 Years

This time last year we were busy with final preparations for my grandma Annette’s 100th birthday party at our family cottage.

Everyone in the family stepped up to play a role in sending invites, preparing and ordering the the food including tasty desserts, cleaning the cottage, renting a tent, hiring a photographer, securing an accordion player and so much more.

This video clip was a part of the event which included pictures, clips from family and even a Green Bay Packer legend.

The day was magical and the perfect celebration for our favorite centenarian.

A year later, Grandma is no longer with us, but the memory of her party and countless moments of happiness from our time together continue on in our hearts.

I was thinking about her this week as I finished re-reading Dr. David Agus’s book, “A Short Guide to a Long Life.”

The book provides advice that we have all heard regarding diet and exercise but also includes tactics you may not normally think about like growing a garden, measure yourself (Fitbit or Apple Watch trackers), consider DNA testing along with what to avoid like fad diets, detoxes, and sunburns.

Did my grandma reach 100 by reading the book and following the advice?

Well, I did share the book with her and she read it but that was at around age 98, and when she read it she was actually a bit nervous that she wasn’t following all of the tips.

She could have wrote her own book that would have included the following tips:

• Do your exercises every morning - no excuses.

• Find someone you love so much that you can’t help but call them “Sug.”

• Keep up with the times, learn to use the latest technology (yes, even an iPad).

• Talk to your great-granddaughter almost every single day.

• Go out to dinner with family and friends every Friday night.

• Always bring home leftovers from dinner.

• Watch every single Hallmark movie, twice if you really love it.

• Share stories from your childhood and reminisce with the younger generations.

• Enjoy a daily Manhattan, but stick to just one or two!

What tips or advice would you add to the list?

Learn In The Flow Of Life

Jason

PS: Happy 101st birthday Gramma on October 3! Say hello to Grampa for me!