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NUTRITION
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FITNESS
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FAMILY HEALTH
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FAMILY MATTERS
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FOREVER YOUNG
BY
DOUG DONALDSON
P H O TO S
CAMERON SADEGHPOUR
a
zaleas blossom in Mattie Francher’s
garden, filling her yard with pinks and
purples, reds and yellows. It’s been
that way for more than 65 years.
Mattie herself has bloomed even
longer. At 102 years old, she still
animatedly talks about tending to
the large yard that surrounds her home in Austin, Texas.
“I love to be outdoors,” Mattie says. “Fortunately, I
don’t have any serious illness. It just takes me a little
longer to get around. When I’m inside, my other passion
is reading.” When she’s not keeping an eye out for weeds,
she plows through stacks of magazines on topics ranging
from medical discoveries to alternative energy to politics.
Mattie also attends community sendee meetings and is
involved with several University of Texas organizations.
Mattie is definitely a rarity, but that’s because of her
sparkling personality, not because she has lived long and
lived well. Being vibrant into triple-digit age isn’t out of
most people’s reach; it just may mean a little inner
gardening, starting sooner rather than later.
“The expression, ‘If you want to live longer, choose
your parents wisely,’ may not be terribly true,” says
Dr. Dilip Jeste, director of the Sam and Rose Stein
Institute for Research on Aging in San Diego. “The role
of genetics is limited and not as high as people once
believed.” The people and things that surround you have
much more effect over your aging than what genes you
were given. And how you think and act matters too.
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