100 Years of Life

My Aunt Kay just celebrated her 100th birthday. What an extraordinary milestone for anyone who reaches the century mark. 100 years is a long time, and I’m fortunate to have rich and joy-filled memories of her. Her presence has always been dependable and strong, and it seemed like she held the world for so many. My dad, Kay’s younger brother, always looked to her for guidance, as did everyone else in her family. Her successful nursing career was a bold path for a woman in the 1950’s. Her caring nature stretched well beyond her family.

I remember every year making the family road trip to New York to celebrate the annual family picnic in my aunt’s back yard. Her ability to host a plethora of extended family seemed effortless. Her magnetic energy was palpable each time she took to her white piano. Her invitation to join the iconic family sing along was the highlight of the day. I remember her laugh, the light in her eyes, and my mom’s fond recollections of their kitchen table chats which just might have saved my mom’s mental health back in the day. And as a lifelong New Yorker, her love for the Yankees was epic. My Aunt Kay remains that same force for life, even at the age of 100.

Widening the lens, living for 100 years spans an astonishment of change. Since 1926, inventions include the television, the microwave oven and the world wide web. Think about the journey of communication the last 100 years. From the 1926 candlestick upright wired telephone to the 2026 Apple iPhone pro. The idea that a portable phone could make calls from anywhere in the world to another phone anywhere in the world wasn’t even fodder for science fiction back in 1926. We’ve come a long way from the Ford Model-T and Babe Ruth dominating baseball.

Civil Rights reform, the dawn of the Nuclear Age, the Cold War, the first moon landing, and the fall of the Berlin Wall were monumental and profoundly historical events all within the past century. My Aunt witnessed multiple wars, the September 11 terrorist attacks, and the discovery of penicillin and the polio vaccine. Think about the evolution of music, from the Jazz to the Blues to Rock & Roll. From Duke Ellington to Elvis to the Beatles to Whitney Houston, music has changed along with the times. At present, my aunt might even know a song or two by Taylor Swift.

What I think about most is the vast spectrum of experiences that a define a century worth of life. The legacy of love my aunt has created is evident in the photos of her surrounded by the bright smiles of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. I remember her hugs, her delight in seeing us, the softness of her weathered hands, and her positive outlook on life. I think about how vast that love continues to be despite the navigation of sorrows, the letting go through grief, and the wisdom cultivated through faith and acceptance. And there was always music.

Not many people get to be called a centenarian. Some who live so long might tend to lose their zest or have their light dimmed by physical or mental decline. Some people may feel tired after 100 years of living. From all accounts my aunt remains brilliant. She still embodies that magnetic field that invites others into her orbit of song and celebration and radiance. Her Irish eyes are still smiling, and for that, my Aunt Kay still holds the world for those of us who love and continue to celebrate her.