At 101, Helen Bird defies time and is determined to enjoy each day as it comes

Helen Bird has witnessed more in her 101 years than most, which she reflects on through her poetry.

She has recently published a collection of inspirational prose titled, A century of living and loving.

As a long-time resident of Rose Village retirement village in Roosevelt Park, Bird has been inspiring both young and old for decades, and is much loved by all who know her.

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“I can’t take any credit for the poems, they were dictated to me by God,” she humbly said when discussing her work.

The book has taken over 50 years to write with each verse being carefully crafted with a view to inspiring whoever may read them.

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When asked what her greatest legacy will be, she coyly replied, “Oh, I don’t know. I’ve had a long and lovely life and am lucky at my age to still be very active and connected to a larger community of people who enrich my life.”

Married at 22, she had a happy marriage which was blessed with five children who have now had children of their own leading to an astonishing 21 great-grandchildren.

She still has many hobbies she enjoys, including embroidery, which she says she has been doing for most of her life. The paper met with her at the Witwatersrand Embroidery Guild’s Market in Linden, of which she has been a member for over 20 years.

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“It has been so lovely to be able to reconnect with friends these past few months after the lockdown ended. It was a very isolating time, and a very scary time. When I contracted the virus, I became really unwell but am grateful every day that I survived and am now in such good health. I’m just elderly which has some challenges but I always smile.”

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