For over 105 years, Elmer Thill has been leading by example. He is a man of  optimism, humility, and strength. Quarantined in his home in California, Elmer is not just getting by,  he is thriving.  When Elmer’s wife passed, his son Richard moved into his home. Richard is a radiant 80 year-old who is as admirable as his father.  

Their approach to the global pandemic inspires me. Here is an excerpt from the this father and son duo from today’s GrandPad video call.

Richard:  Oh hello Kerry, great to see you!  Thank you for checking in with dad and me. We have supplies and we are enjoying the quiet retreat getting ready for Easter.  We are having a good quiet time and we're very well.

Elmer:  Yes, hi there, Kerry.  We are here, we are doing great. We had one of our friends,  i call her a lady santa, bring us a sack with food in it.  There was even salmon in the bag and things to go with it. We are having a great time enjoying being inside .  We are doing our own thing.

Richard: Dad and I went outside into the backyard today and took advantage of the day to pick oranges, tangerines and grapefruit.  We are juicing it and freezing it. It’s a lot of work…that’s a good thing.  Tell me about how you are doing?

The call continued but just here, in the first few minutes, you feel the gratitude, the concern for others, the strength, and the resilience of these to super seniors.  Guess what? In just 2 weeks Elmer is turning 106 and he can’t wait!