Today my grandfather turned 103. What’s even more impressive is that his mind is still sharp and he’s still got his sense of humor. The only thing that’s changed is that he’s shrunk!

My grandmother lived until she was 100 and the past 3 years have been difficult for him. They were married for 75 years. He’s still very independent: he lives in an apartment in a senior living center and I think that he may now be the oldest resident.

My grandparents met at a riding stable in New York. At 25 years old, they were old to be unmarried, especially my grandmother who, at the time was a professional seamstress.

Although I never saw them ride, it was something that I know my grandmother enjoyed. In fact, she fell off a horse while she was pregnant with my father! This was mentioned when I fell off a horse while pregnant with my son, apparently following in the family tradition.

For 80 years my grandfather was a volunteer fireman. He told me once that when he was a child, living on the upper west side of Manhattan, he used to chase after the horse drawn fire engines. Imagine living through so much change. It makes me wonder what I might live to see if I were to be around in another 55 years!