Happy Birthday, Mom

Last week we celebrated my mom’s 90th birthday. In the weeks leading up to her big day, I fielded a lot of comments from folks regarding the fact that mom doesn’t look or act like a 90-year-old. Those comments got me thinking…

What’s a 90-year-old supposed to look and act like?

A few weeks ago I told you about Harriette Thompson, the oldest woman to ever complete a marathon. Mom’s not training for a marathon, but she is quite the specimen of health. For example:

• Her mind is sharp
• She reads without glasses (she had cataract surgery a few years ago)
• She does not take any prescription medicine. I’m not kidding.
• Other than for childbirth, she’s never spent a night in a hospital
• She has no false teeth (however she has fillings)
• When I host hub’s annual Birthday Bowl, she not only joins us, she’s disappointed when she doesn’t throw strikes.
• She still wears heals

Pretty incredible, right? Or is it?

A few months ago there were lots of articles floating around cyberspace about “sitting is the new smoking” and that all the positive affects of working out are negated by long hours spent sitting hunched over a computer. I am guilty as charged. Here’s the thing about mom. She doesn’t sit much. She perpetually cleans an already clean house. I call her every morning on my way to the office. I ask her what she’s doing, and most of the time she’s already done at least one household task. I have no childhood memories of her sitting down during the day, sitting was reserved for after dinner, while reading the evening newspaper. It would be easy to credit mom’s health and longevity to good genes, but her mom died in her 60s and her dad died at age 74.

I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but for today I have a happy and healthy 90-year-old mom. Her milestone has caused me to notice how often I sit. I want to start taking more standing breaks during the day, such as not sitting during phone calls, etc. I’d like to think that by following in mom’s footsteps, I can be like her.

90- years-young