Reaching 100

Has it ever occurred to you that you could live to be 100 years old? Advances in modern medicine make that possible. Recent census data estimates that there are roughly 101,000 people living in the United States who are age 100 years old or older. It is estimated that there will be more than 422,000 people who will reach this milestone by 2054. Those numbers might seem impressive, but when put in perspective there are 338 million people living in this country. This means approximately 0.03% of American citizens are centenarian, age 100 or older. Being in this age bracket is rare.

Being 100

I’m one of the lucky people to have the privilege of knowing a centenarian. I call her Miss Emma. She turned 100 years-old in July 2026. She went to high school with my mother and my aunt. Miss Emma was my aunt’s roommate when they were single young women in their 20s. Her family and my family were close when I was growing up. The lady has known me all my life.

Miss Emma’s 100^th Birthday Celebration was quite an event. The venue in which it was held was filled with family members and friends who came from all over the country to celebrate her life. A crown was placed on her head, declaring her to be the Queen we all knew her to be. There were testimonies, musical tributes, tears of joy and plenty of laughs.

At the age of 100, Miss Emma’s mind is as sharp as ever. She seems to remember everything. Due to spinal stenosis – a narrowing of open spaces in the spine – she is in a wheel chair. She receives occupational therapy weekly, does her exercises daily and says her goal is to get out of the wheelchair and walk. Presently, she resides in an assisted care facility, but she maintains the house she lived in for decades and is working on an active plan to return there.

Miss Emma also sees to it that her classic Mercedes Benz, which she drove up to the age of 98, receives regular maintenance. She’s never said why she keeps the car, but knowing her I can easily guess. The woman is an enigma and has greatly influenced my way of thinking about living to be a century old.

Turning 100

Miss Emma has lived a normal, middle-class life. She was married nearly 50 years before her husband, Bill, died. She raised one son and worked a 9-to-5 job until she retired. As we celebrated her longevity, I thought about some of the celebrities who are close to becoming centenarians. I wondered how they handle going on the age of 100?

Actor/Director Clint Eastwood and Star Trek actor William Shatner are both 95, so is Marla Gibbs, who played Florence on the TV show The Jeffersons. Academy Award-winning actress, Rita Moreno is 94. Comedian Carol Burnett is 93. Singer/actress Julie Andrews is 90, and there are more I haven’t mentioned. I can only hope that if or when they get the privilege of becoming centenarians, they will do so with Miss Emma’s grace.

Feeling 100

Most centenarians aren’t well known. The most they have in common with celebrities is the fact that they are members of a very resilient age group. But with aging comes the possibility of health and memory issues. Yet, some centenarians defy expectations.

Today.com recently reported on Susan Young Browne, a 108-year-old retired schoolteacher. Some researchers use the term semi-supercentenarian to describe anyone between the ages of 105 and 109. The term I choose to use to describe Mrs. Browne is phenomenal!

Her children are 83 and 75 years old. Mrs. Browne lives independently in her own house in Dover, Delaware. She drives her car where she needs to go and just renewed her driver’s license until 2033. She only takes one medication, a pill to control her blood pressure.

Mrs. Browne says that she doesn’t know why she is living so long. She’s just trying to take care of herself. However, she does have some tips for the rest of us that might help us live longer.

• Keep Moving – She exercises every day.
• Eat Healthy Foods – Chicken and fish are her favorite.
• Be Independent – Driving and living in her own home retains her self-reliance.
• Keep Your Mind Busy – She is active in her community.
• Expand Your Horizons – She loves to travel.

I called Miss Emma a few weeks after her birthday celebration and asked how it feels to be 100 years old.

“It doesn’t feel any different than being 99,” she quipped. “I’m blessed by the best and highly favored, and if I could walk, I’d be a bad motor scooter!” Truer words were never spoken.

I never thought about living to be 100. I’m in my 70s, and I’m still surprised by that fact. But celebrating Miss Emma’s longevity makes me think that living that long might be a possibility. If I could maintain Miss Emma’s spirit and Mrs. Browne’s quality of life, becoming a centenarian could work.

Your Thoughts:

What do you think about living to be 100 years old? What would be your expectations?