What is the secret to a long and happy life? Is it maintaining a proper diet, a good exercise regimen or having peace of mind? For Florence Motley of Washington, who turned 105 on Tuesday, the secret lies in Jesus.
"I give the Lord all the praise," she told ABHOW, adding that her age is "a blessing from the Lord."
Born on March 28, 1912, Motley has witnessed 19 presidential elections, two World Wars, the women's suffrage and the civil rights movement.
She is the oldest living-African-American resident in Washington state, according to Q13 Fox.
Motley said she grew up on a farm as an only child. Her parents made sure to instill in her the value of hard work and discipline. They raised her to become God-fearing as well, and she served on various church committees in her community.
"I was raised to work hard and live by the Golden Rule," she shared. "I still live that way today."
For 15 years of her life, she was also a nurse at the Tennessee State Mental Institution. "I enjoyed my work there because I was able to care for and to help people," she said.
Even though she outlived her only son, Dr. Dewey H. Tuggle, Jr., Motley is still trying to live her life the best that she can. She remains close to her two granddaughters.
She has an inspiring message for the youth of today: Set goals.
"If you don't have a goal and work towards it, you'll just devolve into other things," she said.
She also would like to remind people to "eat right, rest, and study your Bible."
Meanwhile, a woman even older than Motley lives in Italy. She is 118-year-old Emma Moreno from Lake Maggiore, who was born on Nov. 29, 1899. She credits "being single" for her longevity, according to The Independent.
"I didn't want to be dominated by anyone," she said.
As for her diet, Moreno keeps things pretty simple as well. "I eat two eggs a day, and that's it. And cookies. But I do not eat much because I have no teeth," she said.
