Albert Einstein once said, “Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” That’s the thing about wisdom, it cannot be taught. We gain it over time, through our own life experiences and sage advice from those who know a thing or two about living a long, meaningful life.
Join us this month as we celebrate National Centenarian’s Day on September 22nd. It is a day set aside each year to celebrate and honor those who have reached the age of 100. The day was originally proclaimed as a time to partake in the rich history and wisdom shared by centenarians.
Over the years, as the human population and life expectancy have increased, so have the number of people who live to 100 years of age. According to the United Nations, there are over 722,000 centenarians in the world currently, with the United States being home to 108,000 of them.
When you stop to think about it, our current centenarians have lived and experienced more life-changing events than our future generations can ever imagine. These precious members of society have lived through the Great Depression, World Wars and Civil Wars. They’ve witnessed the invention of television, the golden age of radio, the innovation of air travel, all the way to the exploration of space and the digital revolution — they have lived and seen it all in one lifetime!
Listening to centenarians’ stories is always inspiring, and this is one day to be cherished by everyone to honor those among us who have seen a century go by. One of our local centenarians is Eleanore Flom, a 24-year resident of Dunwoody who recently celebrated her 101st birthday on June 11th. Eleanore was born in the Bronx, NY to two German immigrants.
She was an excellent student, graduating high school at the early age of 16 and went to nursing school at the world-famous Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. Eleanore’s daughter, Barbara Flom said that her mother’s life has always been about public service, including serving overseas during WWII. “Mom served on active duty in the Pacific Theater, including time on Okinawa and Occupied Japan,” she explained. “During the war she met her future husband and began thinking about how she would use her GI benefits, applying to college before she was even discharged.”
Eleanore went on to complete a BSN degree at Columbia University, got married and settled in Minnesota. She and her husband started a family while Eleanore continued to work as a nurse in the Veteran’s Hospital. She raised four children while working as a hospital nurse, a nursing instructor and later a school nurse in Lower Merion School District. “A lifelong learner, Mom continued her education at the graduate level and completed her Nurse Practitioner certification,” Barbara said. “After retirement, Mom volunteered with her church, the Red Cross, the League of Women Voters, her professional association and other community groups.”
Eleanore also became a published author in her 90s. She wrote Eye of the Storm: Memoir of a World War II Army Nurse. It is available on Amazon and the descrip- tion reads, “This saga of World War II Army Nurse Corps nurses is the tale of one small group of young women who responded to a most urgent call from our government as the war was intensifying on both fronts. From Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, to Diamond Head in Hawaii, to Okinawa and postwar Japan, Eleanore Paffrath Flom shares their – her – story.”
“Mom learned about Dunwoody from her daughter-in-law, Sue Flom, who was working there in the activities department,” Barbara explained. “She moved Eleanore at Kamehameha Grounds, Hawaii in 1945 Eleanore served as a Nurse in Hawaii during WWII into the independent living area 24 years ago and took full advantage of the many social and cultural activities offered at Dunwoody.” Health issues about five years ago led Eleanore to move into Assisted Living and, eventually, the skilled nursing area, so she has experienced the full range of Dunwoody living. Barbara added that Eleanore loves the exercise class she still does nearly every day, enjoys all the food, and, as a nurse, appreciates the care she receives. As far as advice for living a long, fulfilling life? Barbara said Eleanore would surely attest to the power and satisfaction of serving others.
Centenarians will always be with us at each point in history, and all the memories of the lives they’ve lived will continue to live on when passed down.