How Old is Old??

Last week I saw a patient (I'll call her Clara) I've seen several times before but this visit was memorable.  From past appointments I remembered her as an 80-ish woman, cheerful, positive, with an easy smile.  As we chatted she mentioned she was going to be 100 years old this year!  I glanced at her record and wondered how I never noticed her birthdate before, December 12, 1912.  Given the unusual date, 12-12-12 I told her about my grandson's birthday, 11-11-11 which made her chuckle, "Someone else has a special birthdate like mine!"

Clara does not look nearly 100.  She does her hair nicely, has a sense of humor, and if others speak loud enough has no trouble keeping up with a conversation.  When asked her secret to longevity she'll say "Walking.  And lots of hard work over the years."

She admitted she does have some memory issues (don't we all?!) and proceeded to give me a couple of examples.  "Sometimes I can only remember one or two things at a time.  I might put a teabag in a cup and sit down to enjoy it before I realize I forgot the hot water!"

Thank you, Clara for brightening my day!

I saw this sign in a lululemon store in Los Angeles