Engage at every age.

That’s the theme for this year’s Older American’s Month, which is being observed in May.

A meeting in 1963 between President John F. Kennedy and members of the National Council of Senior Citizens led to the Older American’s Month designation. At that time, about 17 million living Americans had reached their 65th birthday.

Today, one in seven Americans are 65 or older, and just two years from now, this segment of our population, which is dominated by baby boomers, will have more than 56 million people.

In his proclamation, President Donald Trump notes that older Americans play critical roles in helping support their adult children, grandchildren and extended families, and they also work and volunteer for businesses and organizations that drive our economy and serve our communities.

Last week, we learned of the death of Delphine Gibson, who at 114 was America’s oldest citizen. She had been living at a Huntingdon County nursing home since 2004, when she was 100.

Born Delphine Tucker in Ridgeway, South Carolina, in 1903, she married Taylor Gibson in 1928 and the couple lived for a time in North Carolina before moving to Huntingdon where Taylor found work in the area’s brickyards.

Delphine became the nation’s oldest person following the February 2017 death of 114-year-old Adele Dunlap, of Flemington, New Jersey. The Gerontology Research Group in Georgia now believes that Lessie Brown, of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, is the oldest American at 113.

A common characteristic we see in centenarians and supercentenarians (people who have attained the age of at least 110 years) is their mental and physical well-being. In an interview, Delphine Gibson attributed her long life to good food, her faith in God and her church.

She took no medication except for one vitamin each day. Friends at her nursing home facility often heard her singing and humming songs like “Amazing Grace.”

The Administration for Community Living, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, emphasizes that you are never too old (or young) to take part in activities that can enrich your physical, mental and emotional well-being. Mental and physical wellness is not groundbreaking news.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham and King’s College London, who have studied how physical activity keeps the body young and healthy, informs us that Hippocrates, the Greek physician considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine, said that exercise is man’s best medicine. That was in 400 BC!

Unfortunately, that message has been lost over time and is even more in peril today with so many in society enslaved to their electronic devices.

The findings of the London researchers also debunk the assumption that aging automatically makes us more frail. Instead, their findings strongly prove that encouraging people to commit to regular exercise throughout their lives is a viable solution to the problem that we are living longer but not healthier.

It’s not that common to see a centenarian on social media but Grace Speary of Lycoming County seems to have life’s priorities in order. She stays active by walking, crocheting and spending time with friends.

But she also joined Facebook in order to stay connected with her family. Although her eyesight has diminished, she says it’s nice to see her family grow up — even though it’s not in person — through photos they post.

Along with her four children, 19 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren, Grace also has a growing family of friends on social media. Recently, after turning 100, she checked her Facebook feed for birthday wishes.

In his proclamation, President Donald Trump states: “Our senior citizens mentor future generations and instill core American values in them. Their guidance preserves our heritage and the invaluable lessons of the past.”

The president’s words describe Delphine Gibson, who recently passed away, and centenarian Grace Speary, perfectly.

Living a sedentary lifestyle was not part of Delphine’s playbook for living, nor is it for Grace.

By Jim Zbick | tneditor@tnonline.com