I found something in a book that I have about life expectancy. The first version dates from 1898. “The average of human life is about 33 years. One quarter die before the age of six years, one-half before reaching 17. To every 1000 persons only one reaches 100 years of life. To every 100 only six reach the age of sixty-five and not more than one in 500 lives to 80 years of age. The married are longer lived than the single. Tall men live longer than short ones. Women have more chances of life in their favor before 50 years of age than men have, but fewer afterward.”

According to that most of us are living on borrowed time! In the past 100 years many advances have been made in the scientific area. Those advances have led to us living longer lives. For those of you thinking of retiring please plan to lie longer. You do not want to outlive your funds.

Couple that with the level of activity that we engage in and you have people who are living much longer.

I looked up current life expectancy. Today men on the average live to be 76.1 years of age and women live to 81.1 years. By 2030 it is expected that men will live to be 79.51 years and women 83.3 years.

I went back to check how the age of death is calculated. Life expectancy has gradually risen. In 1918 the expectancy was 54.7. That is a significant increase from the 1898 statistic.

Many of you reading this have already beat the odds. Your years have exceeded expectations. I am still within the odds but my husband has exceeded his. He always says it is because of his “healthy habits”. When we go to the doctor, they are always amazed that he takes only medicine for COPD. His blood pressure is normal – even good.

The doctor in the ER last night commented about his level of activity when I told him he golfed in two leagues this past summer and we were bowling once a week prior to his last illness. He said he hopes he is that lucky if he reaches that age.

My father’s cousin lived to be 105 and was lucid for most of that. She was nothing short of amazing – living on her own until her last few years. I visited Goldie in her apartment. She always fixed coffee for us. She was a Swede and loved her coffee. Although she had sugar diabetes, she was able to enjoy graham crackers so we ate those together. Once she went into a home, I often stopped for coffee on my way to see her. We still enjoyed our coffee together that way.

Originally, I went to see her to get information about some things we inherited. She not only had the information, but she had more than that. After our first visit I was so inspired by her that I kept returning for visits and we became great friends.

Toward the end her doctor came for an evaluation of her. She told him I could stay so I did. He asked questions then asked me how I felt about her condition. I told him that she remembered my dog and cat names even though she had never seen either one. I guess that gave him the answer he needed.

None of us knows what lies ahead for us. If someone could tell me how many days I have left, I would not want to know. I think that would skew how I lived my life. If I could have my choice of how I was going to die it would be like my grandmother. She was unable to get my grandfather’s attention so she called 911 herself. She was gone by the time they got there.

Although her death was sudden, it was the best for her. She did not have to suffer a long illness. I have watched several family members die of extended illnesses. That is not easy. They just keep going downhill and there is nothing that you can do about it.

Don and I have talked extensively about how our spouses died. Diedra hung in there until her daughter arrived from Alaska. Dick just hung on for nothing special because we were all in the area. He was a warrior. When he asked if he would be around for the next county fair, I told him I did not know. He called me on it. He said that was the only time I said I did not know. I told him I could not lie and honestly, I did not know. That seemed to satisfy him.

If you are one of those who have beaten the odds enjoy it! Nothing about growing older is easy. If you are in relatively good health, thank the Lord.

I found something in my reading that I think fits well here.

Be Like a Tree

¯ Stay grounded

¯ Connect with your roots

¯ Turn over a new leaf

¯ Bend before you break

¯ Enjoy your unique natural beauty

¯ Keep growing

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell, Pa. Contact at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.