Born in Coy, Alabama on July 25, 1907 the life and living legacy of Julia Bethea can serve as a source of inspiration for us all! I met Ms. Bethea on a fair weathered Monday evening in October of this year. Accompanied by her daughter, Eleanor Eakins, her presence alone commanded the acknowledgement that I was about to engage in a very special, what I believe to be, divinely orchestrated encounter.

As the children of all ages began to congregate to capture the vision of Attorney Kevin Crenshaw, Ms. Bethea immediately captured all of my attention. Questions began to immediately flood my thoughts. “What does she think about all of this?” “Is she able to process all that’s going on?” “What is her secret to living to see 104years old?” “How has she aged so well?” However my reverent state of awe would only allow me to observe her as, very aware, she gracefully followed the instructions of those directing the shoot.

“She’s 104 years old.” I whispered with a tone of disbelief to one of the mother’s who had her children there for the shoot. She nodded her head to signify “yes” as she too looked on with admiration. Ms. Bethea gave birth to 4 children and adopted two others when she was 61years old. Eleanor Eakins, one of her daughter’s who lives locally stood closely by with a protective yet courteous demeanor.

The unspoken message was clear; “I am honored that you all would honor my mother, but I am here to make sure everything goes well and to gauge when enough is enough.” Everyone around dealt with Ms. Bethea as if we were handling a fine piece of priceless china, but fragile would not be the word I would use to describe her. Ms. Bethea studies life and disciplines herself to make the necessary behavioral modifications to succeed at living. Her faith is solid, her smile is comes easily, and wisdom is clearly communicated. When asked her secret to successful aging she quickly responded, “I don’t guess I have a secret. I do what I can and I let God do the rest”.

So I offer these challenges to you, our readers, in the spirit of Ms. Julia Bethea:

1. When all else fails; let faith be your foundation.
2. Work until the sun goes down and then rest well.
3. When you know better; do better. Eat better. Plan better. Exercise better.
4. Don’t be afraid to learn something new. Ms. Bethea got a computer at 103 years old!
5. Keep Family and Friends close by. Laugh Often! Love Hard! Age Well!