A woman who turns 106 has some words of advice on how to live a long life.
Tina Gerlack turned 106 on Friday, April 19. She celebrated with family members and friends.
Asked about her secret to longevity, she said: “Work hard, take care of your job, pay your bills, and be nice.”
“I love to work. As old as I am, I still love to work, if I could get on my hands and knees,” Tina Gerlack, from Tacoma, Washington State, said.
“You’re a celebrity. People don’t have 106th birthdays. But you do, so we’re celebrating you, grandma,” said Trina Gerlack, Tina’s granddaughter at her birthday party on Friday.
Trina Gerlack calls her grandmother a “unicorn” because reaching 106 is quite the milestone.
Her granddaughter said Tina Gerlack has always been busy and never one to sit still for long.
“She’s just always been an excellent example for me just because she always has worked so hard,” the granddaughter said.
“If you think about her age and my age she was born in 1918 and I was born in 1945,” said Serona Schey, a neighbor of 47 years. “So, she remembers the horse and buggy age.”
When asked how someone could get to 106 years old, Tina Gerlack focused on kindness.
“Be nice. Because you can’t take your money with you,” she said. “Work hard, take care of your job, pay your bills, and be nice. Be nice, be nice, that’s all it takes.”