An Interesting Lady

@RubyHawk (99425)
Atlanta, Georgia
July 15, 2018 7:38pm CST
A most interesting visitor attended our last family dinner. This lady I have known all my life. She is the oldest sister of my late brother in law. She knew my grandparents and parents long before I was born and tells me stories about them every time I see her. She is now 95 years old and smart as a tack. I doubt that she has seen a doctor more than a few times in her life. I would be surprised if she takes any medications. She was a farmers wife who worked in the fields and cooked and ate as farmers did back years ago. They killed hogs and beef, she cooked with lard and butter, drank whole unpasteurized milk and ate heartily. She did all things we consider unhealthy today. Yet here she is at 95 years old still enjoying life. I don't advise anyone to live an unhealthy life style. Yet there are exceptions to the rule.
19 people like this
19 responses
James Higgins
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
16 Jul 18
She must have had some great genes to survive that long. My mother lived to be 99 and always ate a lousy diet with almost no good vegetables. Also, she was never a happy woman in her whole life.
3 people like this
hereandthere
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
16 Jul 18
@JamesHxstatic was your mother physically active?
1 person likes this
James Higgins
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
16 Jul 18
@hereandthere Other than housework, she was not. She grew up on a farm, chopped and picked cotton as a kid.
1 person likes this
James Higgins
@JamesHxstatic (29242)
• Eugene, Oregon
16 Jul 18
@RubyHawk She would not have agreed that it was wonderful. She was a chronically unhappy person, sadly.
2 people like this
Heather Echola
@GardenGerty (157552)
• United States
16 Jul 18
The hard work balances the heavy food. I think that is the truth of this person's longevity and clear mind. At the time the livestock did not have so much medication and I was told a long time ago that unpasteurized, unhomogenized was less likely to cause your cholesterol to rise.
3 people like this
Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
16 Jul 18
I think that's true, and people worked at hard labor then. They had no conveniences that we have today. Working the farm and tending children was no picnic.
1 person likes this
AmberLynn
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104632)
• United States
16 Jul 18
There are always exceptions to the rule. I think a happy life has helped her live longer. Sure she may have ate a good old country meal but she was also not as sedentary as we are today. I love talking to people who have seen a lot of life. I absolutely love hearing stories from "back then". '
2 people like this
Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
16 Jul 18
No, she was a hard worker, working in the fields, doing laundry and drawing water from a well, cooking farm meals and tending children. She actually had a hard life.
RasmaSandra
@RasmaSandra (73408)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
16 Jul 18
I think that she has had a blessed life. Hard work and plain good food never hurt anybody.l I think it is the chemical and additives these days that are the dangers.
2 people like this
Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
16 Jul 18
I think you're right. All boxed foods have additives and we likely don't know the half of it. That's why I like to buy my vegetables and cook them myself.
2 people like this
Hanni Harel
@Hannihar (129430)
• Israel
16 Jul 18
@RubyHawk She sounds like an amazing lady and I bet her stories are great. Wow 95 and smart as a tack. That is really something at that age.
1 person likes this
Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
17 Jul 18
It really is, I enjoy talking to her. She tells me so much about my grandparents and parents.
1 person likes this
Hanni Harel
@Hannihar (129430)
• Israel
17 Jul 18
@RubyHawk They are really great. Did you know any of the stories she tells you before?
1 person likes this
Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
17 Jul 18
@Hannihar Sometimes about things that happened when they were young. Not much that I don't already know. but it's still nice talking to her.
1 person likes this
Tee
@Deajae72 (723)
• United States
16 Jul 18
I love older people. They are the reasons why we are here. To continue their journey. She is amazing, by the way. I want to be like her when I reach that age. Smart and able.
2 people like this
Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
16 Jul 18
Yes, that's the way we all want to be and hopefully we will.
rakski
@rakski (112925)
• Philippines
16 Jul 18
People from older generations have a longer lifespan. I think it is because the have natural food.
1 person likes this
Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
16 Jul 18
I'm sure natural food is a big help. We have so many additives in prepared foods. That's why I choose and cook my own vegetables.
MARILYN
@Marilynda1225 (79708)
• United States
16 Jul 18
God bless her still being sharp as a tack at 95.
1 person likes this
Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
17 Jul 18
She's like a much younger person. She's a good woman.
1 person likes this
Lenore Plassman
@sallypup (57858)
• Centralia, Washington
16 Jul 18
I hope you are recording the dear lady's wisdom.
1 person likes this
Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
16 Jul 18
Of course, our lives are so different today. She lives with her daughter now but she still cooks and cleans.
Xavier Bage
@franxav (13603)
• India
16 Jul 18
In spite of all the so-called healthy food and progress in medical science, most of us will not last that long.
1 person likes this
Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
16 Jul 18
It's very unlikely. We can try to lead a healthy life style and that's all we can do.
Courtney
@Courtlynn (66921)
• United States
3 Aug 18
living to be 95 is a goal in its own. but to be a smart, and enjoying life 95 year old.. wow,. good for her.
1 person likes this
Courtney
@Courtlynn (66921)
• United States
5 Aug 18
@RubyHawk right.
1 person likes this
Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
6 Aug 18
1 person likes this
Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
4 Aug 18
It's wonderful, we all should be so lucky.
1 person likes this
Faye
@FayeHazel (40248)
• United States
16 Jul 18
Amazing and inspiring lady
Kandase
@Kandae11 (53679)
•
16 Jul 18
There are exceptions to the rule definitely. I think the more natural one eats - the better for health. A steady diet of processed foods, food additives, fast foods and sodas can't be good for one's health.
DB
@dgobucks226 (34356)
•
16 Jul 18
Some excellent family genetics would be my guess to her longevity? Hard work and a wonderful country environment perhaps did wonders for her life.
1 person likes this
DB
@dgobucks226 (34356)
•
17 Jul 18
@RubyHawk The Lord rewarded her with a full life for sure!
1 person likes this
Ruby Hawk
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
18 Jul 18
She has had a long life with many hardships. But happiness too, I believe.
1 person likes this
much2say
@much2say (53959)
• Los Angeles, California
16 Jul 18
Wow - she is doing fantastically ! Some of things that are considered healthy today, I think, are backwards and the folks back then actually had it right . . . they at least ate less sugar and processed foods.
Valerie J. Routhieaux
@just4him (306113)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
16 Jul 18
That's great! I'm sure her stories are wonderful. It's good she's healthy and fit at 95.
Angie
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
16 Jul 18
But you said the magic words, She worked.
Djhoanna li
@Friendlypink (3805)
•
16 Jul 18
I guess even if she is eating unhealthy she do a lot of manual work. Like a lot of walking here and there. So she just turn fat and unhealthy stuffs on her body to sweat. I hope my parents can live that long. I will just take care of them the way they took care of me when I was young.
Jessa Bumagat
@Jessabuma (31700)
• Baguio, Philippines
16 Jul 18
That's nice. I love hearing stories like this.. very interesting!