My mother, Vivian, turned 102 today. She is still very much as she has always been: disciplined, cheerful, engaged, inquisitive, generous. She lives in an apartment attached to our house, and gets herself up, makes her bed, gets dressed, and makes her own breakfast and lunch. She reads daily and weekly newspapers, cooks a little, does daily devotional readings, bakes a little, and knits a lot, giving the output of both her baking and knitting away.

If asked, she will tell you that she has lived as long as she has because she never drank, she never smoked, and she worked hard, which is all true. She also maintained strong social networks, became involved in her community, thought of others, and adapted well to change.

She is tired, though, and not sure why she is still alive, but makes the best of it and trusts that God has a plan for her. She noticed yesterday that the heliopsis outside her window turn to face the rising sun in the east and by the end of the day are facing west. She delights when the birds and butterflies pass by, notes the colour and movement of the clouds, watches the oyster fishermen speed off to their leases and arrive home for lunch. I learn something new from her every day, and helping her through this phase of her life has been rich and rewarding most of the time, frightening and exhausting some of the time, but always interesting. Towards 103.