𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕋𝕠𝕡𝕚𝕔

To what age would you like to live and why? Have you got plans in place to ensure you make it physically and can sustain yourself financially?

As I got to this question in @galenkp's post, I started counting on my fingertips, the names of my ancestors who had gone to the great beyond, and at what ages they did answer the call to that other side. Father's father died at a100 years old, father's mother at 90, Mother's mother at 92, mother's father died at about 40 I was told, but it was not his death, in his stubbornness, he took another's willingly thereby cutting short his own natural span of life. Well, that's a story for another day. Then come to my direct lineage, I have my Mom who clocked 78 this year and despite being a diabetic patient, is strong in mind and memory, and my Dad who is 88, He is still relatively healthy, mobile, and mentally intact. He walks unassisted, standing upright like the Iroko tree. Theres been no history of Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Cancer of any sort, Adult diapers, or any illness that would decrease the quality of life so much that living becomes a pain.

Most times, I even believe that longevity perhaps run in the DNA of my pedigree because they live through life with not much health issues. But one thing about life is that there are no guarantees, yes none whatsoever.

But if I would have a say, I would settle for a 100 or thereabout. Now currently in my early fifties, I have lived for over half a century. So I feel it isn't such a long shot aspiring to attain those number of years, it is not beyond the realm of the possible. I am hoping for the same deal as my progenitors or my predecessors.

Though I believe that one's quality of life is more important than the quantity, I crave for both, quality and quantity because I believe the longevity gene could be embedded in my DNA as well.... Hehehehe.

Well, there are too many factors that could happen as no one knows what the future really holds, I am glad that I’m simply passing through on my way home, writing bits and pieces of life's beautiful memories, enjoying Nature's many wonders, listening to the wind, the rain, watching Sunsets and having great experiences and Joys of Motherhood, of Love and of Friendship.

Why would I want to live for that long?

I want to be able to watch my grandkids grow, play, go to school, marry and have their own children, yes I want to witness the birth of my great grand children, just as my predecessors did.

I know I need a healthy lifestyle to be able to go that far, so I am very choosy about my diet and I exercise regularly though I'm planning to incorporate more exercises into my fitness routine.

In Africa, we have a culture that is totally different from that of the Western World. It is a taboo for children to put away their aged parents in nursing homes, they must stay with them and love them till the very end, parents invest heavily in their children's future so they can in turn be able to cater to their needs in old age, It is called "labour of love" and never considered a burden at all. All my grandparents lived in our house in their old ages before they answered the great call.

In conclusion, living is not just in the number of years one has actually lived on this planet but in the number of human lives one has impacted along the way and whom one have done their utmost to be a blessing to.

The photo is of my parents, taken from my gallery.

This is in response to @galenkp's initiative. Thank you very much @galenkp.

I am @edith-4angelseu and thank you for stopping by my neighbourhood.