This week, I received a call from Frances, my 102 year old patient. I hadn’t seen her in over 4 years. She is homebound and unable to come in for her eye exam, but she wanted to “catch up.” At the end of my day, I gave her a ring.
We chatted for a half hour and I was happy to find that, mentally, she’s still as sharp as ever.
I asked her, “what’s the secret to a long life?”
She replied, “You asked me that 4 years ago!”
I thought, what a great memory she has!
I then asked, “Is the secret being an optimist?”
She replied, “No, I’m definitely not an optimist. I worry a lot!”
She went on to tell me about her life and career in 1950's NYC. She fondly reminisced about how she would sneak out of the office every Wednesday to have lunch with her husband and go to the theater. Thoughts of Frances playing hookie and catching an afternoon matinee made me smile.
She ended our chat with the following advice:
“Don’t kill yourself over work. That’s the secret to a long life.” #wordstoliveby
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