Faith + family + flowers = 100
St Andrew centenarian reflects on longevity, talks crime, economy, youth
Published:Tuesday | October 10, 2023 | 12:10 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
Centenarian Sybil Robinson tries to stay on top of current affairs, although she noted that today’s news, which is at times dominated by reports of crime, is “far different than before”.
With all her faculties intact, the Stony Hill, St Andrew, resident made it clear in an interview with The Gleaner in her living room that the shifting realities of society have made today’s news more depressing.
“Today’s news is far different than the news before. The news now each day you get up, all you hear about is shooting and killing. That I don’t like,” she said.
Born on September 27, 1923, she completed a century two weeks ago – a day when local headlines were dominated by news of a quadruple murder the previous day in Crawle, St Catherine.
Robinson cringed as she painted a picture of the societal breakdown, lamenting that today’s youth are “hard-hearing”, drawn to crime, and that, perhaps, most won’t live to see her age.
She told The Gleaner that she is not fond of their unwillingness to listen and take sound advice.
“They not hearing you, you know, regardless of what you are going to say to them. Is like they prefer to hear that news (crime) than the first-time news,” she said.
Changes in the economy have also left her disheartened.
Disclosing that she is not fond of the new polymer banknotes and prefers the paper ones, Robinson said that in times gone by, the cost of living was not so burdensome.
“Each day you get up now, all you can hear is, ‘this gone up, that gone up’, but first time, you weren’t tired to hear that,” she told The Gleaner.
FOND OF PARTYING
A devoted Christian and avid churchgoer, Robinson said that among the reasons for her longevity is that she is not fond of partying.
In fact, apart from her 100th birthday celebration held at the St Jude’s Anglican Church in Stony Hill last Friday, where she is a member, there was no other mention of frolicking, except to say it was possible that avoiding it has kept her until today.
“I enjoyed [last week’s party], but to tell the truth, I didn’t bother much with parties, you know. Really didn’t dwell with parties, but this one, I enjoyed it very much, I tell you, and I thank my family and friends who did this party because I certainly enjoyed it,” Robinson said.
Robinson told The Gleaner that her faith in God, her family, and her plants energise and keep her going.
“We used to operate a grocery shop and that was what I lived by ... . When I get the time from the shop, I plant my flowers – the orchids and the lily,” she said, noting that the purple and white orchids are her favourite.
Relatives testified to her love for plants, revealing that she even talks to them.
Even today, Robinson still likes to get her hands dirty, noting that she recently transplanted some black mint seedlings.
“Up to yesterday someone asked me if they can get a plant of mint and I said yes. Another one [was] passing and see me handing her the plant and said, ‘Ms Sybil, you have any more there?’” she related.
PASSIONATE ABOUT CHURCH
Robinson is passionate about church and is credited for being a founding member of the Mothers’ Union – an organisation in the Anglican Church dedicated to the advancement of the Christian faith and strengthening Christian family life – in 1960.
Over the years, she has racked up several awards for her sterling contribution to the church.
“I am a good church person. Nothing keeps me back from going to church. To me, it is very important,” she said.
Robinson recalled how the church moved from a room with one door to jointly hosting one-shilling fundraisers to outfit the building with more doors and windows.
“The little church had one, one people, but the one, one people was regular ... . We sit and plan what can we do to help the church,” Robinson said.
The mother of four is always surrounded by relatives, who had all been counting down to her century milestone.
One of her sons, Dennis Robinson, said it was remarkable how she is attached to her church.
“She was christened at the church, confirmed at the church, and she got married at the church. Full circle,” he told The Gleaner.
Dennis said his mother tries to keep up with the happenings and often excuses herself off the phone to catch the nightly news.
While he is not overly concerned about her, he wishes would take it easy at times.
“She is much weaker than she was before, and I’m concerned when she goes down the step. But she loves to tend to her garden so I guess nothing we do or say is gonna stop her,” said Dennis, who is visiting from New York.
Niece Michelle Robinson, who is with Robinson daily, said her only concern is that her aunt’s voice has lost strength and she is unable to hear her at times.
“If she is outside and I am in the kitchen I can’t hear if anything happens to her. If five, 10 minutes pass and I don’t hear her, I go and look,” Michelle said.
Jokingly, they said that they would probably have to put a bell around her neck to keep up with her movements.
Robinson’s granddaughter, Kemoy Addai, who was also visiting, said she was excited to make the trip.
“I enjoy coming to visit her because it keeps me close to this side of the family ... . It’s amazing (celebrating 100). We’ve been counting down and looking forward to it. My schedule was cleared for a long time for this day,” Addai told The Gleaner.