Perhaps the secret to a successful life doesn’t have to complicated after all. Centenarian Vilma Pinto offers simple recommendations: “Have faith. Have courage. Do the things that make you happy. Follow the Commandments. Love your neighbor. Don’t think about tomorrow, it will think for itself.” All those seem quite achievable.

Pinto, who entered this world on August 2, 1926, is sharp, charming, quick-witted and fun to speak with, as I found out during our conversation on Zoom.

GROWING UP THE ISLAND WAY

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, she was the second of five children. When reminiscing about her early family life, she lovingly mentions her mom, Una, a housewife, and dad, Granville, the disciplinarian. “My parents were poor, but they were strong—they didn’t play,” she says, even as she admits to often getting up to some mischief requiring said discipline. Back then that often meant corporal punishment, which isn’t so PC these days. “My father had a broad leather belt. I always said I couldn’t find it when they sent me to get it. Why would I find it when I knew what was coming?” ‘Nuff said.

She enjoyed a typical island childhood and talks fondly about climbing mango trees, playing jacks and jumping rope. She remembers her grandma cooking big meals and the kids in the neighborhood coming over to partake. “We all lived in peace and harmony. It’s hard to find that now,” she laments.

One thing she did not appreciate when growing up was the sternness of the nuns in charge of St. Anthony’s, the school she attended between the ages of 5 and 17. Thanks to those nuns, “We were well trained,” she says. “We learned how to speak to people and how to conduct ourselves.” These are lessons she has carried all her life and tried to pass on to her five children so they could pass it on to their offspring.

With a work ethic shaped by that kind of upbringing, Pinto has put her all into any job she has tackled, whether in Jamaica, where she worked for 32 years at a manufacturing company, or in New York City, where she relocated to in the fall of 1975. In the Big Apple, she took on various jobs such as being a nanny, housekeeping and factory work. When she retired in 2011, she was rectory assistant at St. Pascal Baylon Roman Catholic Churches in South Queens.

It wasn’t a smooth transition for her moving to another country and navigating unfamiliar terrain in her forties, but she was determined. “Taking the train [to get around] was not easy,” she says. “I got lost sometimes—I’m on the right side when I should be on the left. But eventually I found my way.”

Initially, she did consider going back to her homeland. “Then I thought about my 17-year-old son and how he could get a better education here and I said, I’m going to try my best and see how it works out.” That son, Michael Hamilton, is currently an Associate Professor of Economics and Chair of the Department of Business Administration at Langston University, an HBCU in Oklahoma, so you could say it worked out just fine. He credits his mother with imparting some important life lessons, among them, “Try to approach new things with positivity and always be ready to reconsider your opinions,” he says. Another gem she gave her children was to, “Stand up for yourself and your values.”

WISDOM WORTH SHARING

So, what are some of the principles on which Miss Vilma stands?

Keep the faith.

An important throughline in Pinto’s life is her faith. “Through everything trust and believe in God no matter what,” she says. The first thing she does every day, before she gets out of bed is pray. “I say, ‘Thank you God for waking me up this morning. I see the sun coming up and there is no guarantee I’ll see it going down.’” An ardent Roman Catholic, her time these days is structured around praying along with the Catholic channel. “I finish morning prayers at 9 a.m., there’s another service 12 to 2 pm. Divine Mercy at 3 p.m., then the rosary at 4.” Having a strong sense of self is also important, because “When your faith is weak, you’re easily led to temptation.”

Put family first.

When asked what surprised her the most about how her life has turned out, she’s quick to respond, “I didn’t know I would have so many kids.” The irony of her having five children when she herself was one of five is not lost on her, but there is an upside: “They gave me a lot of grandkids.” She feels blessed to be surrounded by a large family, including 13 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was surprised at the size of the turnout at her 100^th birthday celebration. “When I went in and saw all those people, I wondered, Where did they come from? Then I realized I knew all of them,” she says with a laugh. “I was especially happy to see my church family. They all came to celebrate life.” To her, family is not only about shared DNA.

Make room for R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

“Respect yourself and others and they in turn will respect you,” Pinto says. According to her son, she taught her children to treat others the way you want them to treat you. “They all respect me, that’s what I need. Because I give everybody respect and I need respect in return,” she states. She would advise young folks trying to do right not to give up. “You might slip up sometimes. Before you act think Mom and dad didn’t teach me to do that. Then you fall back.”

Find joy in the little things.

What makes Pinto smile these days as much as anything is spending time with her great-grandson, 4-year-old Cairo Stone. “He calls me Gigi. When he visits in the evenings, he watches cartoons and we might share a fruit.” The youngster keeps her going with his lively antics. Another thing she is known for is having a penchant for the shopping networks. She confesses, “I might go in [to bed] at 8 p.m. but I could be up until midnight watching QVC.”  Sometimes though, it’s about relishing peace and quiet.

Eat smart, eat well.

When we talk about her diet and eating habits, she offers up an easy-to-follow regimen: In the morning she gets up at about 7. She has a cup of tea with honey and lemon—no milk or sugar. Breakfast by 10 a.m. could be a slice of toast, an egg and a piece of fruit (an orange or a banana). Sometimes it’s a light snack for lunch, then dinner later. She doesn’t drink alcohol. She seldom drinks soda, perhaps a can of ginger ale, every now and then, which she splits into two servings.  She drinks lots of water. If she does drink juice, it’s natural (apple or strawberry). No wonder her skin is still glowing.

Get that paper.

What piece of advice would she give to a young person just starting out? “Make sure you go to school.” Pinto believes you can’t get far without some kind of education or certification. “Not everybody has the ability to go to college,” she acknowledges, “There’s also trade school. Find one that you like so that when you’re done you can take care of yourself.” One of the proudest moments of her life centered around education. “When I saw my son marching in to get his Ph.D. I said, ‘God is good,’” Pinto reveals. 

A WEALTH OF TRADITION

Pinto speaks openly about her humble beginnings, but the life she has lived over the course of 100 years represents a legacy far richer than words can capture. Her granddaughter, LaToya Stone, puts it beautifully: “Grandma represents our history, our strength, our humility, and the love that connects one generation to the next. To have her here with us at 100 years old is an amazing gift.” It’s a legacy rooted in love, resilience and family.

Read the original article on Essence.