ODE TO JOY: HAPPY 1.0.0. TH BIRTHDAY, JOY ELIZABETH GAILBREATH BROWN!

How old would you be if you didn't know how old you were? ~Satchel Paige

My Aunt Joy Brown celebrates her 100th birthday today!

A very dear friend of hers has been hosting an annual birthday bash for Aunt Joy for many many years now, and the party has grown until she had to reserve a local popular restaurant to accommodate all Joy’s birthday well-wishers. I think half the town of Gainesboro, Tennessee, turned out this year to help Aunt Joy celebrate this major milestone. Her party was December 1 at Helen’s restaurant. Poems were read in her honor and she received birthday greetings and gifts from several local and state politicians, including the governor.  The Bluegrass duo Dailey and Vincent wrote and performed a song to honor Joy on her special day.  [Jamie Dailey grew up in Gainesboro and has known Joy since his childhood. They are a mutual admiration society to say the least.]

She entertained us, singing some songs, telling stories and favorite memories, and reading a poem she composed to honor her sweet friend, Jo, who orchestrates these awesome birthday parties.

And having to hold on to her walker did not deter her from tap dancing to the tune of The Entertainer.

She shared her memories of seeing soldiers return home to Gainesboro after World War I when she was four years old. [Her sons pictured here, Mike and Tom, call her every day from their homes in Texas and California]

She recited The Ragged Old Flag, the lyrics to a song written by Johnny Cash, that she performs several times a year at patriotic functions.

I’ve always said I want to be just like my Aunt Joy when I grow up. She’s had and still has a remarkable life, not only long in years but also rich in the love and respect of her family and friends and rich in faith and love for God. She’s still going strong. I look forward to seeing her tap dance at her party next year. Happy 100th Birthday, Aunt Joy! Wishing you all the best of everything today and always.
Age is a question of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. ~Leroy "Satchel" Paige
Old age ain't no place for sissies. ~Bette Davis
My younger passions are still listening, as I age. ~Terri Guillemets
Few people know how to be old. ~Francois Duc de la Rochefoucauld

One of my favorite pictures of my aunts Joy and Kat, my grandmother Dixie, and my mother Hamp [1940s]