Keep your eyes open and don’t be afraid of life. If you want to age gracefully, stay busy, positive, and connected. -Dede Ulbrich

This week, we meet Dede Ulbrich, a beautiful 86-year-old woman whose secret to staying young is laughter, love, and connection. The granddaughter of former New Hampshire Governor Francis P. Murphy and founder of WMUR radio and television stations, Dede was raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, where her big, Irish family believed in the glory of hard work and having fun. In this interview, Dede recalls that men returning from World War II and Vietnam were changed forever, and she was determined to live her life to the fullest. As a friend and former colleague of political consultant and White House special assistant Kenny O’Donnell, Dede attended the Inaugural Ball for President John F. Kennedy and later experienced the horror of losing her favorite president to an assassin’s bullet in Dallas. Years later, as the single mother of three sons, Dede rebuilt her life after divorce, taking a job selling running shoes at the Nike store in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Identified as a talented salesperson, she was recruited by company executives to join their elite marketing team. Dede climbed the corporate ladder in a man’s world with zero hesitation, creating relationships with Olympic runners like Joan Benoit Samuelson. A runner herself, she later met and married her second husband, Dick Ulbrich, DMD, experiencing the joy of finding love the second time around. Known affectionately as“Doc”, her husband built a lasting friendship with a gardener from Weston, Massachusetts named Nelson McNutt, who lived to be 105, leaving his entire estate in gratitude to the couple. www.nelsonsgarden.com. Filled with the kind of wisdom that can only come from a life well lived, Dede says,“Life is good. Always look for the beauty in life. Keep searching for the things that make you happy.” For 25 minutes of inspiration, just hit that download button. #gratitude #age #kennedyassasination #nelsonsgarden