One hundred hearty cheers to dear 'young' Phyllis Townsend who turned 100 on the 16th of February 2012. The entire congregation of Weoley Hill United Reformed Church celebrated with her the following Sunday the 19th, with many friends and family attending the service. It was indeed a great day as it is not a regular occurence to be privileged to have a centenarian in our midst. She was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a framed photo of the congregation, and she cut her special 100th birthday cake afterwards to hearty cheers.
Anyone who knows Mrs Phyllis Townsend knows that she reads and writes without glasses, she does not use any hearing aid, and she is quick to tell you that she still has most of her teeth. Of course, she has done her best to live a good life, as she neither drinks alcohol nor smokes. Phyllis engages in simple exercises to keep fit. No wonder her health has wowed countless health professionals who have been opportuned to examine her. This woman is simply amazing and really supernatural (borrowing the words of another keen admirer of hers). Of course, you do not mess around with her. Otherwise you will have yourself to blame (lol). When people half her age are struggling with memory loss, not so with Phyllis. She remembers every detail, nothing gets past her notice. Her intellect is as sharp as can be. She is a fountain of wisdom, a living history and a treasure store to be mined. I can only say she is truly a piece of God's master art.
You only need to come close to Phyllis to observe how neat she is. At her age she still prefers managing her own affairs, and has lived independently until recently when she moved with her family. She still does her own cooking, sews and knits. Spending time with Phyllis is a joy any day. You will realise how much influence her parents had on her, especially her father who she still revers even though he is long dead. He ensured that she never bought her clothes from the shops, they were all tailor-made to measure. He never wanted his daughter to wear the same dress as anyone else on the street - he wanted her to be unique all the time. No wonder she is so special even at this age. In fact, she will tell you that her father would disapprove of her eating elsewhere than the dining table.
Like many others I feel very privileged to be associated with Phyllis. She reminds me of what the bile records of Moses that at 'a hundred and twenty years old... his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone' Deuteronomy 34:7. I pray that at 100 I too will still be strong, stand firm on my feet preaching the gospel. I pray that I will be a 'living history' for later generations.
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