It’s not often that someone has the chance to celebrate a 100th birthday, which is why this occasion is all the more special, not just for my grandfather, but for those who are able to gather here to be thankful for everything that he has given us over the years.  One of those things is envy because none of us knows how you’ve managed to stay as healthy and age-defiant as you have after all of these years, and we hope you will tell us your secret some time.  Grandpa, you have always been there to teach us valuable lessons, lessons that outnumber all of the years that we’ve had you in our lives, and we’re sure that you still have many more to teach us.  For as long as you’ve been with us, you’ve given every opportunity to show us how to live and appreciate all of the blessings that come our way, and you taught us how to laugh when we’re going through difficult times.  You yourself are a blessing to have in our family, and we couldn’t have asked for a better role model, to whom not only the youngest members of our family can look up, but also the older ones.  You’re a wealth of knowledge, and even at 100, that wealth doesn’t show any signs of running out.