Happy 101

Today is my Aunt Dolly's birthday..... she is 101.  I called her this morning to say hello and wish her a Happy Birthday, and she sounds great. Full of life, full of news about what's happening down in Florida with my cousins there, and every third sentence was "When are you coming to see me?"

If Aunt Dolly's hearing was as excellent as her enthusiasm, these weekly phone calls to her would be a lot easier.  As it was today, my cousin S was having to repeat my questions to her after I asked them..... she can hear much better in person than over the phone.  Anyone who calls Aunt Dolly has to practically yell at the top of their lungs in order to be understood, so my cousin S easily heard everything I said to my aunt, and he was sitting there just repeating mostly everything to her.

I used to stand on the back porch when I called my aunt, thinking that the reception would be better outside than inside, making it easier for her to understand me. That theory only resulted in my voice traveling through half of the hills, giving my neighbors a word-by-word echo of my conversations with Aunt Dolly.

Now I call Aunt Dolly from the second floor of our house... I stand in the hallway and yell at the top of my lungs.... and somehow it all works.  Aunt Dolly wants me and my husband to come and see her...... "And bring the rest of the family with you," she told me.  Well, if we could get 'the rest' of the family on planes from 'the rest' of the country, we could all have a nice reunion in the state of Florida. We tried that for her 100th birthday, but only a few of my cousins were willing and able to make the trip with us.

101 years old. Good for Aunt Dolly. Good for us. We should all be so very lucky, and so very healthy, at 101 years of age.