This fictional birthday vignette imagines a woman reaching 99 years of age with a smile that has stayed with her since she was nineteen. She sits on the porch, holding a handmade birthday sign and enjoying a quiet moment in the sunshine.
Ninety-nine birthdays would hold a lifetime of changing fashions, favorite songs, family gatherings and memories. In the story, her smile is a reminder that joy can remain familiar even as life changes around us.
What memory from your younger years can still make you smile today?
