The Buranova Grannies (Photo: Buranovskie Babushki/facebook)
Here’s a little news you may have missed this week. A gaggle of grannies, The Buranovskie Babushki, from a remote Russian village won first place and will represent the country in Eurovision, the world’s biggest song contest. They even beat previous Eurovision winner and top Russian pop star Dima Bilan. The group’s average age is 75 and they wowed judges singing and dancing to a catchy tune called Party for Everyone.
I say, “Go Grannies Go!”
These grannies spend their days doing farm chores such as sewing, cooking, cleaning, gardening, and tending goats before they meet in the evenings for rehearsals. If they win Eurovision in late May, the prize money will be used to build a church for their village of 650. Granny Galina Koneva feels they have already won something special. “We want to have a longer life,” she says. “They say that those who move, who sing, they live longer.”
I think she’s right. Years ago I saw the inspiring documentary Young@Heart (http://www.youngatheartchorus.com/) about a Massachusetts based senior citizens chorus who delighted audiences worldwide singing modern songs. Members ranged from their early 70s to well into their 90s. They are still going strong!
Perhaps it’s my age showing, but I love it when older people accomplish things. There is an old adage that still rings true: Just because there is snow on the roof doesn’t mean there isn’t fire in the furnace. Staying active as long as you can is a better anti-aging formula than any Botox, cream, potion, vitamin, mineral, or antioxidant on the market.
The Bible gives us insight into the aging process from God’s perspective. Long life is considered a blessing or even a reward (Deuteronomy 5:33; 1 Kings 3:14). Abraham died at a “ripe old age, old and contented” (Genesis 25:8), David died at a “good old age, full of days, riches, and honor” (1 Chronicles 29:26, 28), and Job died “old and full of days” (Job 42:17).
Gray hair is described as a “glorious crown” (Proverbs 16:31), which I’m hoping is a metaphor since I am a “natural” light brown thanks to Ms. Clairol. Older men should be “self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance” (Titus 2:2-3). Older women should “encourage the young women” (Titus 2:3-5). In Biblical times the aged were respected (1 Timothy 5:1-2; Leviticus 19:32, Proverbs 23:22) and shared their lifetime experiences with others (Joel 1:2-3; Deuteronomy 32:7).
Biblically speaking, it sounds as if the aged should remain active and involved in life as much as possible.
Consider these senior citizens:
- Colonel Sanders began franchising his restaurants at age 62.
- Grandma Moses began her painting career in her 70s.
- Granny D. Haddock walked across the continental United States at age 89.
- Sadie and Bessie Delany were over 100 when they wrote their book Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years which was made into a movie and play.
- Mother Jones was an active Irish-American labor organizer well into her 90s.
- Maggie Kuhn founded the Gray Panthers when she was 66 and championed for rights of the aging until her death at age 89.
- Clara Peller coined the catch phrase “Where’s the beef?” for Wendy’s commercials when she was 81.
- Bob Hope and George Burns were still performing until they reached 100.
- Benjamin Franklin was a framer of the United States Constitution when he was 81.
- Golda Meir was 71 when she became prime minister of Israel.
These people remained as active as they could, for as long as they could.
As for me, when my time comes to go to that great party in the sky, I’m hoping to go out singing and dancing. My grandkids can cheer me on saying, “Go granny, go granny, go granny go!”
