I'm absolutely charmed by the words of Esther Tuttle: "I am blessed and I've worked on it."
And Esther should know—living almost 100 years has given her a chance to figure it out. Ah, out of the mouth of a "centenarian babe." That may be one of my all-time favorite quotes. She's fit and vibrant with a quick mind — blazing the trail for the many of us that hope to live as long as she. If there is such a thing as a centenarian babe, she's it.
As a society we are indeed living longer. The Census Bureau tells us that in 2009 there were 96,548 centenarians living in the United States — up from 38,300 in 1990. That's quite a jump (significantly more than the percentage of growth of the general population) and the numbers are rising. Which leads me to wonder about the many of us "living" in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities or, should I say, "barely living."