I believed that myself once, back when I was young enough not to enjoy back spasms and groaning knees as constant companions.
Of course, inside you’re only as old as you feel, that much is true, even if the wear-and-tear exacted on our bodies appears determined to limit what we can and can’t do.
Growing old is a part of life and the vast majority of us are forced to accept that there are things we’ll have to leave in the past as we advance in years. These usually include things that put a degree of physical strain on our bodies. Like, for example … dancing.
Yet one Woodbury, New Jersey woman, Mary Capasso, recently defied such expectations when she celebrated her 103rd birthday with a dinner party and a ballroom dancing bash.
“I was born 1919,” Mary said, as per 6ABC.
I feel fine, no different than any other day.”
Community Life Director Susan Sacks, who works at Watermark’s Woodbury Mews, where Mary resides, said that she and the team there wanted to make the occasion extra special by having the dance.
“Because that was her passion,” Sacks said. “This was the first year we were able to make it happen; to kind of surprise her.”
As part of the celebrations, dancers performed in Mary’s honor. Mary explained: “My husband and I, we both enjoyed dancing.”
As per reports, Mary met her late husband, Carl, all the way back in high school. They got married to one another in 1941, before he was called up for military duty in WWII.
“We were only married a few months when he was drafted,” Mary said.
She added that she and Carl had taken up dancing when their son Carl Jr. left for college.
“It wasn’t easy. We did a lot of practicing,” she continued. “We were such good dancers.”
As a special treat to ring in her 103rd birthday, Mary once again took to the floor for a spin. There aren’t many individuals over the age of 100 that are fortunate enough to have retained the necessary mobility to still enjoy a dance floor, but Mary was delighted to have the opportunity.
Susan Sacks added: “She is still so vibrant at 103. She’s just an amazing woman.
Indeed! What an inspirational woman. I sure hope I’m still able to get up and dance if I live to see 103.