HADDOCK, Ga. — It's not uncommon these days for many folks to reach 100-years-old. But the years can take a toll on us physically and mentally.
Elizabeth Pounds is defying the odds and spending every day giving back to others.
Elizabeth lives in Haddock. She's 99-years-old, about to turn 100, and she says the key to living a long life is to stay active.
"I like to work in gardens like flowers," she said.
The flowers bring her joy and a big brown plot of land. She grows what she can eat and gives away a good bit that comes out of the ground.
"I plant collards, turnips and string beans, corn and tomatoes," Elizabeth said.
Elizabeth came into the world April 7 1921.
She was married to her husband Joseph Pounds for 63 years before he passed away.
She has eight kids, 13 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren.
"The Lord done brought me a mighty long way," she said.
She is fiercely independent, even driving herself to the store in Haddock.
"And I can get up and do things for myself and don't have to wait on nobody because I can do it myself and help somebody else," she said.
Service to others is part of her DNA, many times it's sharing the bounty from the earth, but lots of times it's merely leading by example.
"She's got a beautiful garden and I'm looking at her and I started a garden," Loraine Hawkin said.
As she approaches 100, folks ask Elizabeth about the secret to a long life.
She smiles and says it's all pretty simple.
"I try to do the right thing as near as I can and treat people the way I'd like to be treated myself," she said. "I may not be treated right all the time, but that's all right I'm going to do my part."
She's done her part for nearly a century and there is no sign that she is slowing down.
Elizabeth's family plans to have a drive by parade for her the weekend before her birthday on April 3.