• My 81-year-old grandmother is healthy and has lived a long, great life. • She built a strong community through church and loves being surrounded by her grandchildren. • She owes a lot of her health to not chasing traditional success, which helped me, too.

Last New Year's Eve, I was in my pajamas, getting ready to watch the ball drop, when I got a call from my 80-year-old Nana. She wanted all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren to come to her house to celebrate.

My grandmother has seven children, numerous grandchildren, and even more great-grandchildren. I was shocked that she wanted them all to come, but we obliged and took them over. That moment summed her up perfectly: full of life, spontaneity, and joy.

Now at 81, she credits her longevity to building a big family and red

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