A Birthday Present

It started out innocent enough. No one really thought about it too hard.

The oldest living person, a women in Denmark, passed away at 115. It was crazy that she lived that long. Crazier still that she died on her birthday.

After she passed away, there was a new older person in the world. This time it was a man, a Tibetan monk who had reached 113. Then he passed away. On his birthday.

Sadly, it took 8 of the world’s oldest people to pass away before anyone started asking the obvious question. Why were these people all passing away on their birthday?

The Unhappy Age

People only age when they are unhappy.

My grandma told me that once. I didn’t think that much of it. She was old and definitely looked the part. I assumed that it was one of those crazy things that grandparents say as they are on their way out. It would be four months before I realized how right she was.

With Age Comes Youthful Actions

At 93, she decided to parasail.

She didn’t have a clue how to do it, but she was determined to try. Having received a less than positive sounding voicemail message from her oncologist, Martha decided that it was time for action. Weeks and months had been wasting in waiting rooms and exam rooms. Long days and unending nights were spending in the frivolous pursuit of an answer to why and how this happened to her.

But something inside her spirit snapped