Two 109-year-old best friends are finally sharing their secrets to a long and happy life after surviving eight decades of history together.
God designed us for connection so we don’t have to carry our burdens alone in this life. Even when we truly want a friendship to last forever, it often fades as life just moves on and gets busy. We step into different phases and our focus naturally shifts to our own families and jobs. But some rare friendships manage to survive all of that and last a lifetime.
Two Typists in 1941
Velma Long and Dorothy Boggess first crossed paths in 1941 as 23-year-old typists in the War Department. Dorothy had just moved from Atlanta to serve as one of the original African American “War Girls.”
“It was very exciting,” Dorothy remembered. “I didn’t know anyone at all in Washington, D.C.”
Through Segregation and Marriage
They survived segregation together. Dorothy recalled walking to the Interior Department for lunch simply because it wasn’t segregated, joking that the food was better.
Their bond tightened when they started dating cousins. Dorothy married George Boggess in 1942.
“My husband loved her husband,” Dorothy said. “We spent a lot of time together and traveled everywhere.”
The couples spent their lives serving their church and community. Dorothy worked as a social worker and later penned the book “I Wish You Were Here”. George lived to be 104, giving Dorothy 74 years of marriage.
Still Talking Every Day
Now at 109, getting together isn’t as simple. Yet they still talk on the phone almost every day.
“We’ve both lost so many close friends,” Dorothy shared. “It’s amazing that we’re still functioning.”
Most of us would pull back when the grief of outliving our generation gets that heavy. They just pick up the phone and lean closer to the one voice still left on the line.
The Secret Behind 109 Years
People constantly ask for their routine. They eat well and stay active. Dorothy even starts her mornings doing the “Cha Cha Slide” and learned to swim at 69. But Velma keeps some mystery.
“The people want to know some of our secrets,” Velma laughed. “I say, well, we can’t tell every little thing.”
When pressed for the ultimate key to happiness, Velma gave a direct answer. She said the secret is to “just be kind to people.”
Proverbs 18:24 tells us, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother,” and that is exactly what we see here. When you find people who will pray with you and stand by you, hold on to them tightly. God placed them in your life so you never have to feel alone.
And did you hear what Velma said is the simple secret to a long and happy life? We usually hear things like diet, exercise and staying positive. But she pointed to something we often overlook: “Just be kind to people.” As the Bible says, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
WATCH: 109-Year-Old Best Friends Share the One Secret Behind Their Long, Happy Lives
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