My grandma was born on Christmas Eve. She is 94 now, and living in an assisted living center near my parent's house. She had a stroke two years ago, and can't live on her own, but she doesn't need to be in a nursing home, since she doesn't need any kind of medical care. She gets around just great, though she uses a walker for balance. She takes coumadin to prevent blood clots and she's humming along like a well-tuned machine. She's always been active and busy, but her successful longevity can be attributed almost entirely to good genes. Her father died at 95, and he did NOT take care of himself...rolled his own cigarettes right up to the end.

Grandma's stroke affected her speech centers, but over time she has recovered remarkably. She still has trouble expressing ideas, but if one is patient and gives her time, she is able to put together what she wants to say in a way that can be understood. I called her yesterday (a day late, ouch!) to wish her a happy birthday, and she was able to fill me in on all my cousin's comings and goings. When I later talked to my dad, and he was filling me in on this stuff, I told him grandma had already told me. He was surprised. "You were able to get all that from her?" I told him I had a lot of recent practice being patient with someone trying to express an idea.

When my family we would all get together for Christmas, we would always drink a toast at the start of the meal: "Health, wealth and happiness." And grandma would always add "Especially health." Even at 94, she's able to make the most of the life she has. To me, that's health, and she's got her wish.