THE ONES WHO DARED
THE ONES WHO DARED PODCAST Elevating stories of courage. You can listen to some of the most interesting stories of courage, powerful life lessons, and aha moments. Featuring interviews with leaders, pioneers and people who have done hard things. I hope these stories help pave the path for you to live out your courageous life.
THE ONES WHO DARED
The Secret to Living Over a Century Is Simpler Than You Think | Rebecca Drick
Living for over a century gives a unique lens on what truly matters. In this episode, we sit down with Rebecca Drick, a radiant 103-year-old who shares her extraordinary journey and the powerful simplicity behind her long, fulfilling life. From milking cows at six years old to sewing thousands of unipads for women in developing countries—her story is one of resilience, purpose, and everyday joy.
Key Takeaways from Rebecca’s 103 Years of Wisdom:
- Farm Roots & Responsibility: Grew up with six brothers on a fruit farm; began milking cows in first grade.
- Simple, Wholesome Diet: A lifetime of apples, home-cooked meals, no processed food—and intermittent fasting.
- Purpose at Every Age: Has sewn over 3,000 reusable pads ("unipads") for women in need—just in the past five years!
- Daily Routine: Bible study, gentle exercise, sewing, and reading keep her days meaningful.
- Resilience Through Hardship: Lived through the Great Depression, WWII, and the loss of two husbands—yet continues to "keep going."
- Lifelong Relationships: Family, 4-H clubs, and decades of reunions sustained deep, life-giving connections.
- Graceful Aging: Accepts her limitations with peace and focuses on what she can do—not what she can’t.
- Simple Joys: Novels, Rummikub, and desserts continue to bring delight.
- Her Life Mantra: “Do your best. Be as good a person as you can be.”
Whether you're seeking inspiration, struggling with life’s challenges, or curious about what it means to live well for 100+ years, Rebecca’s perspective will leave you feeling encouraged, grounded, and full of hope.
Let’s live simpler, love deeper, and keep going—just like Rebecca.
-Links-
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And so the other pillar of longevity, they say, is purpose or meaning in life. What would you say contributed to that pillar for you of either meaning or purpose or contribution?
Speaker 2:Well, I've always liked to do things with people, even to this point, even to this point, I have a purpose every day that I do some sewing and I sew for a mission, and the mission's located here. What I do is I make unipads for women and girls in the countries that don't have the kind of material that we have around here, and they're called unipads and hopefully I know I'm helping a lot of women and girls because I've made over 3,000 of them. That's incredible. I've been working 3,000 of them. That's incredible.
Speaker 1:I've been working at it for about five years now. Hey friends, welcome to the Ones who Dare podcast, where stories of courage are elevated. I'm your host, becca, and every other week you'll hear interviews from inspiring people. My hope is that you will leave encouraged. I'm so glad you're here. Rebecca Drake welcomes to the Once With your Podcast. I am so excited for this interview. You are 103. Wow.
Speaker 2:That's right. How does it feel to be 103? Oh, I don't know. It has just crept up on me and I don't know that I feel too much different than what I did a couple of years ago.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's what people say. They say that they don't feel any different, right. It's different than what I did a couple of years ago. Yeah, and that's what people say. They say that they don't feel any different, right. It's like how old do you feel inside?
Speaker 2:Some people say 60 and 70, so I guess I'm older than that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and some people just say, pick a number and then you just tell people you're that age. There's one lady who's in her 90s and she tells people she's 29 because that's the number she picked. You, as a lot of people wanted to hear from you as well, on just all the different periods that you have experienced in the 103 years of life. You went through the Great Depression, world War II. There's so much that has happened in your lifetime and so it's such a privilege to be able to sit across from you and ask you some of these questions, and I'm curious to see and to know through all the different decades that you've experienced, how have you held on to hope or have you continued to carry on, even when the Depression was there, world War II, all the different eras that were really difficult?
Speaker 2:Well, I started out with a family when I was a girl, and that was very important to me and it still is. I had six brothers. Three were older than three were younger. We lived on a farm and we all worked and we had cows to milk and it really was a fruit farm. So my father raised apples and peaches and pears a few pears and a few plums and of course my mother had to take care of the house and I helped her a lot. But I also helped out as far as milking was concerned. When I started to school I had to start milking cows and I helped as far as picking cherries, but other than that I didn't do much outside work. I was helping my mother.
Speaker 1:And how old were you when you were involved in the household chores?
Speaker 2:Well, I started milking when I went to first grade and from there on, I milked as long as I was at home.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's incredible. What was your childhood like, besides the chores? What was your childhood like?
Speaker 2:It was fun. I used to have a swing that my father had fixed in a tree out in the front yard and when I wasn't busy we would go out and I would swing by myself. But I enjoyed just being there with my swing and swinging back and forth. But I also did some other things. I learned to sew through 4-H clubs and that's one of the things that I've carried with me the rest of my life. I like to sew, use the sewing machine.
Speaker 1:What is your favorite memory from your childhood?
Speaker 2:Oh, I had so many of them. Just on Sunday we went to a Quaker meeting and it was a small group and we always looked forward to that and I liked to milk cows and just being a part of a family.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you enjoyed that part. You enjoyed being together, being on the farm, doing work, sharing the load. Yes, yeah, how would you say your childhood is different from childhoods today? That you see?
Speaker 2:We were a family then and everybody stuck together. Now everybody's off doing their own things someplace else.
Speaker 1:And would you say you're more of an optimist or a pessimist, by nature or personality? Probably an optimist. You're always smiling. Ever since I came here, you're smiling. And yeah, so you're 103 at this point. What would you say contributed to your long life At the Once For A Year podcast? Giving back is part of our mission, which is why we proudly sponsor Midwest Food Bank. Here's why Midwest Food Bank Pennsylvania distributes over $25 million worth of food annually, completely free of charge, to over 200 nonprofit partners across PA, new York and New Jersey, reaching more than 330,000 people in need. Through their volunteer driven model and innovative food rescue programs, they turn every single dollar donated into $30 worth of food. Now, that's amazing. Join us in supporting this cause To learn more or to give.
Speaker 2:Go to MidwestFoodBankorg slash Pennsylvania, I'm sure the good nutrition that we had growing up had something to do with it. We had growing up had something to do with it. Part of it's hereditary, I suppose, except my parents did not live to be old, but I had a grandmother that lived into her 90s and I have a brother that lived into his 100s and and several other brothers that lived into their 90s.
Speaker 1:How old were your parents when they passed away? Because you said they didn't live.
Speaker 2:They were in their 60s and 70s.
Speaker 1:And your grandparents lived in their 90s at all.
Speaker 2:I had a grandmother that lived into her 90s.
Speaker 1:yes, and when you say you think it's the diet, what do you mean by that? What did you guys eat?
Speaker 2:We ate lots and lots of apples.
Speaker 1:That's the secret, guys, if you're listening, it's the apples.
Speaker 2:That was one of our snacks, like when we would come home from school. You know you're always hungry. We would go to the fruit house and get an apple to eat and we knew where the different kind of apples were located in the fruit house. And instead of going and getting a candy bar somewhere, we ate apples. What was your favorite apple? I think Golden Delicious is probably my favorite.
Speaker 1:Golden Delicious. But I have others that I like too. So you guys didn't eat too much processed foods. It was more like home-cooked meals and things from the garden, from the backyard.
Speaker 2:It was always home cooking, never processed food.
Speaker 1:So you probably didn't get exposed to then a lot of like the seed oil and all the processing things that people put in packaged food. Nowadays that causes a lot of health issues. No, what has your diet consisted of as an adult?
Speaker 2:I eat cereal with milk in the morning and I try to eat a lot of fruit.
Speaker 1:Is there fruit you stay away from, or you just eat all sorts of fruits. I just eat anything, okay. And then what do you have for lunch and dinner typically?
Speaker 2:I don't eat an evening meal. I just eat my breakfast and my lunch.
Speaker 1:Oh, so you do intermittent fasting, then, whether you know it or not, I eat a big lunch, a big lunch, and have you always skipped dinner? No, no.
Speaker 2:No, just the last five years, five, six years maybe?
Speaker 1:Hmm, that's interesting. What about prior? But I go to bed real early.
Speaker 2:How early. Oh, you'd be surprised how early I might go. I might be in bed by six o'clock in the evening, but I might eat a reed in for a while and I might not, depending on how tired I am, I don't take a nap during the day.
Speaker 1:And then, what time do you get up in the morning? Do you get up pretty early.
Speaker 2:Anytime from five o'clock on. It's usually about oh, maybe 6 o'clock when I'm really moving around, but I don't come out to get my breakfast until about 7.30. I listen to the radio usually during that time.
Speaker 1:And then as far as lifestyle and exercise and things like that, have you been active throughout your life? Do you feel like I do exercise every morning, and what kind of exercises do you do?
Speaker 2:I lay on my bed and do mostly leg exercises. It takes me now. Now I say leg exercises, but I do some sitting on the bed bending over and that type of thing.
Speaker 1:And what about earlier in your life, in your adulthood, say in your 20s, 30s, 40s? Were you active or what was your life looking like? I was always active yeah, and when you say you were active, what does that mean to you? Were you exercising at the gym? Were you walking a lot? What kind of activities were you involved in?
Speaker 2:Never went to the gym when I was that age, I walked a lot, depending upon which part of my life it was. When I was in college, we walked a lot to get from one class to another, and I bowled when I was in college.
Speaker 1:And what did you go to school for? What did you go to school for? What did you go to college for?
Speaker 2:To become a home economist, and I was an extension home economist, hired right out of college and worked for a while, and then I got married and at that point you were not allowed to work. This is one of these old rules that women were not allowed to work in extension after they got married.
Speaker 1:And how did you feel about that rule?
Speaker 2:Well, we just there was no feeling about it, it was just a rule you followed If you got married you had to quit work. But then I went back into it again after my family was pretty well raised.
Speaker 1:And what did you end up doing after your family?
Speaker 2:was raised, I was an extension home economist and we were hired by Penn State. Our job was to teach people different projects, different areas of their home life, and also work with the 4-H clubs and also work with the 4-H clubs.
Speaker 1:So in studying longevity they identified a few different pillars that are really important for people to live a long time and I'm curious to see which one of the pillars you were a part of your life. So community and relationships was a really big, big pillar. It's actually one of the greatest pillars. It outweighs exercising and even diet. How would you describe community and the people, your friends, relationships? What role did that play in your life? It was very important.
Speaker 2:You see, we had the 4-H clubs when we were in grade school and we would get together with these groups and you made lots of friends that way, not only in school but with these activities for the 4-H club.
Speaker 1:Forage Club. And then, what about? Did you have a friend community as you were getting older, or were you always really close with your family?
Speaker 2:I've always been close with my family.
Speaker 1:They've been very important as far as I'm concerned, but you would say that you had a pretty strong sense of community throughout your life.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, and we've had reunions for many, many years and all of us get together and our children and grandchildren. They just recently stopped it, but they were very much a part of our life to have these reunions once a year, and that started when my mother died. We thought we might not ever see each other again very often, and so this is a way we compensated for that, and it worked out wonderful.
Speaker 1:That's beautiful, just continuing to reconnect together on a yearly basis.
Speaker 2:We would go to different places to have these reunions. One year would be one place, another year another.
Speaker 1:And so the other pillar of longevity, they say, is purpose or meaning in life. What would you say contributed to that pillar for you of either meaning or purpose or contribution?
Speaker 2:Well, I've always liked to do things with people and, to this point, I have a purpose every day that I do my Bible study in the morning, my exercises and then, if nothing else is scheduled, I do some sewing, and I sew for a mission and the mission's located here, and what I do is I make unipads for women and girls in countries that don't have the kind of material that we have around here, and they're called unipads and hopefully I know I'm helping a lot of women and girls because I've made over 3,000 of them. That's incredible. I've been working at it for about five years now.
Speaker 1:So, on a daily basis, you get to your sewing machine and you the sewing machine's set up all the time.
Speaker 2:Yep, little portable sewing machine. I make two or three or four a day. Don't want to overdo it one day, because if I get tired then I won't want to do it the next day.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you know to keep your pace now, right? Yep, I'm looking at them right now. So what got you to start that idea or this mission? How did you get involved in creating these for girls?
Speaker 2:There was an article in the paper about this mission group and what they do and it said if they had any volunteers they would be glad to have volunteers. And so the first time we went it didn't pan out very good. The group where we were going to hopefully get the supplies had moved that day and so it wasn't operating. But then we went another time and then there was another article in a newspaper and so we went that time and we really got involved and my daughter goes and picks up the kits there's a kit of 25 in a pack and I just do them and then eventually she takes them back.
Speaker 1:She gets three or four or five packs a day when she gets them, and so what it is is it provides it's a reusable pad for menstrual cycle, correct, yeah? And what is the name of the mission that you contribute these to?
Speaker 2:United Global Logistic Center.
Speaker 1:Okay, and is there a particular country that these paths get sent out to?
Speaker 2:No, they go to different countries Don't have the kind of thing we have here in this country.
Speaker 1:That's incredible. So you used what you went to college for, even now, at 103, you're continuing to use that gift, that skill set, and contributing to people all over the world. I guess you could say that that's beautiful, rebecca. Yeah, and so that, in a sense, gives you that purpose pillar right. So you get up every morning. You know you got some things to sew to help impact people. Yes, have you always used sewing as a way to contribute, or has there been other things that you felt passionate about throughout your life?
Speaker 2:oh, I used to sew clothes for my children all of the time, like for Easter. I always had the girls with their new outfits and always enjoyed that. So I've really enjoyed doing sewing projects.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and now you get to do that. Well, looking back at your life, do you have any regrets or anything you feel you would have done differently if you had to do it all over again?
Speaker 2:Oh, probably the one thing would be I gained too much weight at one time and I took it off, and then I gained it again, and now I would say I'm okay now, Okay now.
Speaker 1:I'm not skinny, but I still have energy to be able to do things.
Speaker 2:Is there something you wish you would have done in your life that you didn't have the opportunity to do, or maybe didn't have the courage to do.
Speaker 1:I can't think of anything now. What would you say is the one message that you'd love to pass on to the listeners, if you were to say anything at all? That from your life, from your experiences, maybe a piece of advice what would it be? What you'd want to pass on to the world?
Speaker 2:Make sure that God's important to you.
Speaker 1:Okay, and that'll be it. Huh, what do you feel like changed the most since you were a child in our world?
Speaker 2:People travel more than they used to. They have more material things now than they used to.
Speaker 1:That would be it mostly, and is there anything that you miss about back in the day compared to now?
Speaker 2:We didn't know what to root for. We were always happy.
Speaker 1:Oh, I see, If I were your granddaughter, what advice would you give me today?
Speaker 2:I have a granddaughter Several of them. Study hard, make sure you do right things, not get involved with the evil things of this world.
Speaker 1:That's about it. That's about it. Huh, be happy, be happy. Would you say that you're fairly happy. I'm happy. Were you always fairly happy?
Speaker 2:yes, except when I lost loved ones. That's the times in my life that I wouldn't be happy, but basically, yes, I've been happy.
Speaker 1:And how do you stay happy, or what's your tip on being happy?
Speaker 2:live a good life, have good friends would you say that you enjoy life? I enjoy life. Yes, it's different than it used to be, but I still enjoy life.
Speaker 1:And did you always enjoy life?
Speaker 2:I don't know when I didn't yes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's interesting because some of the other people I interviewed also said the same thing, and so I'm wondering if there's a correlation to longevity and your outlook on life. What do you think about that?
Speaker 2:I guess it would be possible. I haven't had a lot of health problems like a lot too many people have, so I'm sure that contributes to the way I feel.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm. Yeah, and do you think there's something that contributed to you not having some of the health problems that other people around you had that I wouldn't know? Health?
Speaker 2:problems that other people around you had that I wouldn't know.
Speaker 1:Well, you lived through so many different eras.
Speaker 2:What is or what was your favorite era that?
Speaker 1:you lived through. I liked each other. Is there any of them that stand out to you specifically?
Speaker 2:Each one had a good point and I can't say that one was any better than the other. They just all have been good points.
Speaker 1:What about some of the harder eras, like living through World War II, the Depression?
Speaker 2:I was in college when that happened and it did not affect me too much, except my one brother had to go to do alternative service do alternative service. But other than that it really didn't affect me too much.
Speaker 1:Now, a lot of the men in college had to go, but that didn't affect me. And would you say, though, that was there a different mood in the world at that time because of so much political unrest and fear? Was that prevalent around you? Or was that not, as it didn't affect me? No, and why not, I don't know. You just kept on keeping on Yep, focusing on keeping on Yep, focusing on your school Yep. That's amazing. Right now, at 103,. What do you think about the most? I'm incredibly selective about the supplements I choose for me and my family, and SourSup Nutrition Gummies by BeMe Beyond Medicine have become a family favorite. Not only are they packed with incredible benefits, but they're so delicious that everyone in my family enjoys them. Introducing Soursop Cell Plus Immunity Gummies the first ever physician-backed Soursop supplements in the US, expertly formulated with Soursop, elderberry and echinacea, designed to enhance your well-being, experience the benefits of soothing inflammation, balancing blood sugars, relieving stress and anxiety and strengthening your immune system. Use my code, svetka, that's S-V-E-T-K-A on SoursupNutritioncom and get 5% off today.
Speaker 2:Probably family Friends that I used to have that I don't have anymore, aren't living anymore. I can't do things like I used to be able to.
Speaker 1:I can't do things like I used to be able to.
Speaker 2:And how does that make you feel it's just a part of life, so you're not mad about it, I don't, it doesn't worry me, I just know that that's part of life.
Speaker 1:Hmm, so you just accept it. You just accept it, yes, and just do what you can Right With what you can control. It's out of my control. Yeah, that's a really great perspective to have.
Speaker 2:What is the hardest part about being your age? Probably the physical part. I have to use a walker to get around, but that doesn't really stop me too much.
Speaker 1:You still go on walks.
Speaker 2:No, not like I used to, but I can walk around the house here just fine.
Speaker 1:What is your greatest wish?
Speaker 2:You don't want to know, uh-oh.
Speaker 1:Is it it needs to be censored, or what is it? No, I don't want to know. Huh, can we get a pg version of it? Oh, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Oh, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Oh man, I'm curious now. Now you got me really curious what this wish of yours is. So, Rebecca, I heard that you taught classes for women on how to sew and how old were you when you were doing these workshops?
Speaker 2:Oh, this was after I was out of college. It was part of my job.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:It was extension.
Speaker 1:And how did you get started in that?
Speaker 2:Well, I was employed by Penn State and that was part of my duties to do that type of thing. I was in charge of the clothing department and so I would hold classes and we had a newsletter that went out to different people in the county and I would announce a class that I was going to be teaching. Anybody wanted to come to it, they could, and so we would start out with depending upon which group it was, which part of the county it was, because it was a large county I would teach started out with simple sewing and ended up with tailoring, which was making coats and woolen garments very stylish garments that they would make.
Speaker 1:And you would help and teach to make suits as well.
Speaker 2:I would teach that, yes, but I would do it by demonstrating. I would be making one, and then they would go home and make one similar to that and then come back for another class and do it in different segments.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's incredible. I think we're missing some of that today, aren't we? Yeah, right.
Speaker 2:And I saw also did a lot of demonstrating on canning different kind of fruits and vegetables, whole workshops on those, and the people would bring their jars. Then I would have some extra and say somebody was there that didn't have a jar, we might can some tomatoes, or we might can some peaches, or, depending upon what was in season, we'd use the pressure canner for the vegetables because they had to be processed in a pressure canner.
Speaker 1:And where did you learn to can?
Speaker 2:Well, my mother had taught me, but then when I was working, we had training sessions and you learned the actual dangers of the different kind of processing through these specialists that we had from Penn State that would teach us how to go out and teach these things.
Speaker 1:And so when you were growing up, your family lived in a farm. Is that correct? Yes, and so during the World War II period, were you guys living off your farm? Is that part of why your family?
Speaker 2:was not as affected. I was in college most of the time, but then my father had died and my brother was taking over the farm and my mother I guess you would say she had to adjust to living without a husband, and so my brother asked if I would come home, and there was an opening for a school in our little community which had four grades in each little school, and this was the upper grades, so it was fifth, sixth and seventh. There were thankfully no eighth graders that year, and so I taught school, and one of my pupils was my youngest brother.
Speaker 1:So he has turned out to be a wonderful guy Thanks to your teaching right, I hope I had a little influence on him.
Speaker 2:Looking back in your life. What would you say were some of your peak experiences? Of course, getting together with my family at our reunions. We always just loved them.
Speaker 1:Were there anything else that you feel like were a highlight of your life?
Speaker 2:There were so many things that were highlights. They just all were good.
Speaker 1:So, looking back on your life, you look at it that it was mostly good.
Speaker 2:Yes, definitely I had some bad times. Everybody does Lost two husbands. They were very sad times.
Speaker 1:And what kept you together during those sad times.
Speaker 2:You just know you have to keep on going.
Speaker 1:Is that how you recovered grief or how did you deal with grief with?
Speaker 2:loss. Keep on going. You had other people you had to think about too.
Speaker 1:So just looking forward, not looking back. Looking forward, not looking back. Yep, moving on. Did you allow yourself space to process how you felt, to grieve, to take time to process your emotions?
Speaker 2:Well, I think everybody does that. You have to, you have to deal with it, however you, however it affects you, but it's just part of life and you keep on going, you and you keep on going. You have to keep on going.
Speaker 1:Just talking to you for a short, brief time. I'm already picking up that this is your mantra. It's just life goes on. You keep moving forward. Yep, you see things from a positive perspective and just life goes on. Huh yeah, Did you have a motto or phrase or something that was kind of your pillar or your North Star?
Speaker 2:I would think so. I just knew you have to keep going. You have other people to think about and do what you can.
Speaker 1:And from your siblings. Where are you in the order of your siblings?
Speaker 2:I had three older brothers and three younger brothers.
Speaker 1:So you were the only girl, I was the only girl. Oh wow, yeah, what was it like to be the only girl with all the boys.
Speaker 2:It was all right.
Speaker 1:Did they pick on you?
Speaker 2:Not really. Most of them stuck up for me. Oh, that's great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, at this point of life, what matters the most to you?
Speaker 2:I can do what I want to when I want to, I think. Try to keep on enjoying life.
Speaker 1:And what do you do now? That, or how do you enjoy your life right now? What are some activities or things that you do that are enjoyable to you?
Speaker 2:well, I do my exercises in the morning, do my bible study, read the newspaper, then do my sewing. Those are the major things that I do in the mornings. In the afternoon I read books and I've read many, many books in the last few years more than I ever did the rest part of my life. And I do sadducees. That's a little thing that I spend time with. Play Rummikub, if I have somebody to play Rummikub with.
Speaker 1:That's a good game. I like that one, do you? Oh, come over any time, maybe we'll play a Rummikub yeah.
Speaker 2:Eat, of course.
Speaker 1:You like to eat. What are some of your favorite things to eat?
Speaker 2:Oh, fruits and vegetables, main things, desserts I like desserts.
Speaker 1:So you don't deprive yourself from dessert, do you no?
Speaker 2:No, I don't try to overdo it though.
Speaker 1:How often do you eat dessert?
Speaker 2:Depends, depends on what you call dessert too, probably at least every other day.
Speaker 1:Maybe more so? You mentioned that you love to read. What are some books that were the most transformative for your life?
Speaker 2:The books that I read are all for just joy. Most of my books that I read I won't say most, I would say a lot of them are Amish books, about the Amish families, and I enjoy reading them. But there are others too. But I don't read the books to learn anything, it's just for enjoyment.
Speaker 1:No more learning books, it's just for enjoyment.
Speaker 2:No more learning books. Right now I'm not reading any. I just finished one the other day. It was a series of four books and it was about the Northwest in Canada and all the hardships that they had to go through there.
Speaker 1:Do you read novels or what kind of genre?
Speaker 2:Yes, novels.
Speaker 1:Were you always an avid reader throughout your life?
Speaker 2:I didn't used to read any more than what I was required to as far as my schoolwork was concerned, and then I was busy raising a family and didn't have time then. But I have lots of time now and I like to do reading.
Speaker 1:Do you have favorite authors?
Speaker 2:I have a few labor law authors. Yeah, a few of them. What are they? Jeanette Oaks, yeah, Beverly Lewis.
Speaker 1:Who have been the greatest influences in your life, my mother's serve with God, I would think. And who is God to you? Who's God to you? God, you say God is someone who's influential in your life. How would you describe God to you?
Speaker 2:He's the most important person in my life. How so, if it wouldn't be for him, I wouldn't be here, and you wouldn't either.
Speaker 1:And has that always been an important part of your life? Yes, your faith yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, we went to meeting every Sunday morning.
Speaker 1:Was there something earlier in life that was important to you that no longer seems important or is important anymore?
Speaker 2:I don't know. I just have accepted life as it comes along and I can't think of anything that I would have thought was important and isn't important.
Speaker 1:I don't know how did you handle the time when your children made their own decisions?
Speaker 2:That never bothered me and I never had that problem. It was time for them to grow up.
Speaker 1:So if your kids made decisions that were not perhaps maybe some things that you didn't agree with or were not in line with your belief systems, how did you handle that? Did you just let that go? Or how was that for you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, probably that's what I did.
Speaker 1:Because there's some parents who feel that if my kids are unhappy, then I'm unhappy. Do you buy into that philosophy or do you have a different philosophy when it comes to adult children?
Speaker 2:That was part of growing up, I guess, and they made mistakes and you have to deal with it, so you hope that eventually they will change their mind and become the good person that they're supposed to be.
Speaker 1:So you didn't allow that to affect you to a degree that your mood, your state of being, was negatively impacted when they were going through their choices.
Speaker 2:Well, sure, it would impact me too, but not affect me to the point that it discouraged me.
Speaker 1:So you just felt like you let them be their own adults, their own people. They get to make their choices. Now that they're grown, you can't make them for them. What is the bravest thing that Rebecca has ever done? The bravest?
Speaker 2:thing, mm-hmm, goodness, all right, I can think of a co-worker, think of a co-worker, and she did some pretty bad things as far as I was concerned, and my secretary told me about it, which she had written to our boss at Penn State and said that I didn't do something, that she couldn't do her things because I hadn't done it. But I had done it, but she hadn't done her part. And the secretary told me about it. I did nothing about it, though. I just thought that is her problem, not mine.
Speaker 1:So you would contribute that to be something that was brave for you to do. To ignore the Yep she was trying to get you caught up in the drama. Huh, she was.
Speaker 2:But that was just because she didn't have hers done.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm, was there something else that you feel like you did? That required an act of courage.
Speaker 2:I didn't think of it as an act of courage. I guess Things that I did. What is your philosophy on life? Do your best you can.
Speaker 1:Be as good a person as you can be.
Speaker 2:What is the best advice that someone gave you? It's been so long ago.
Speaker 1:I can't remember Depends how long ago. That's true, that's a good one. Hmm, what about the one you can't remember? I want. What about the one you can't remember? What's the most recent? Something that maybe someone told you, or maybe it's a piece of advice you read somewhere. I don't know.
Speaker 2:We just knew we were always supposed to behave and that was just part of our living growing up. Do your best you can, but be honest about everything. Be honest.
Speaker 1:And so in your life, did you drink alcohol or smoke? No, neither one. Neither one, no. And you had a fairly healthy diet, eating from backyard, eating fruits and vegetables. Did you eat meat and dairy as well?
Speaker 2:We always had meat at some time, but that's not my favorite food. It's not my favorite food. It's not.
Speaker 1:I eat it, but I can eat small amounts and you enjoy dessert. Yep, that's a well-rounded diet right there folks. Is there anything that you'd like to share with the listener that I have not asked you?
Speaker 2:Just be a good person. Try to do things to help other people. What is a?
Speaker 1:good person. What would be your definition of a good person? Try to do things to help other people. What is a good person?
Speaker 2:What would be your definition of a good person? Live a clean life. Don't steal, don't smoke, don't drink alcoholic beverages and do good things right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what are some major differences, you see, from how you were raised to how the current generation is raising their kids?
Speaker 2:Well, when we were raised, we had lots of work to do right at home. Lots of work to do right at home. We were kept busy, but we were also involved with organizations like the Grange and 4-H. Now I think sports takes a major part of a lot of children and there's nothing wrong with that. I think that's great. But I think they're away from home more than we used to be. If you don't live on a farm, you don't have all the responsibilities of doing the farm work, and now they just, of course, they go to school. But it's different. They travel more than what we did when we were children, although we traveled some more than what we did when we were children, Although we traveled some.
Speaker 1:We went to the World's Fair and different things like that, and what has the farm taught you?
Speaker 2:You like the animals and you like your work. Rebecca what is your favorite thing about life? Just having lots of good friends, I guess, being free, having a good home.
Speaker 1:What is your least favorite thing about life? What? What's your least favorite thing? The thing that you like the least?
Speaker 2:Not being able to walk without some help, but I'm thankful for that walker yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, I want to honor your time here. And is there anything else you'd love to tell the listener, whoever is listening, wherever they're listening from? We have people all around the world who listen Anything. You want to close with Any closing thoughts?
Speaker 2:I wish there could be peace on earth, all over the world. That would be my real major thing that I would hope would happen someday.
Speaker 1:That's beautiful. Well, Rebecca, thank you so much for your time. It's been so fun talking to you. And getting to know you. Yeah, Thank you for listening to the Once we Dare podcast. It is an honor to share these encouraging stories with you. If you enjoy the show, I would love for you to tell your friends. Leave us a reviewer rating and subscribe to wherever you listen to podcasts, because this helps others discover the show. You can find me on my website, speckhopoffcom. Thank you.