A 100th birthday party is no small milestone and for Constance Isherwood, the province鈥檚 oldest practising lawyer, the secret to her success is pretty simple.
鈥淜eep breathing,鈥� she says, with a smile just before a massive birthday day cake with 100 lit candles was brought out by Oak Bay firefighters. 鈥淣obody in this world is really living today unless they鈥檙e breathing and what that means is look after yourself and your health.鈥�
Surrounded by family and friends at Penny Farthing Public House, Isherwood offered a few more words of advice that she鈥檚 learned throughout the years.
RELATED:
鈥淜eep working, you鈥檝e got to keep at it,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd keep smiling 鈥� you鈥檝e got to have a positive attitude, don鈥檛 let things get you down.鈥�
Isherwood started law school the same year the first Polaroid Camera went on sale. She鈥檚 been practicing law for the past 69 years. She says that while she gets the question a lot, she answers 鈥渕aybe next year鈥� she鈥檒l retire.
鈥淏ut when you get to be 100, you don鈥檛 know how many next years they鈥檙e going to be so maybe I鈥檒l start winding down a bit now but 鈥� I鈥檝e enjoyed the work and I鈥檝e enjoyed the people.鈥�
READ ALSO:
Isherwood says that while she hasn鈥檛 gone to court for a while since the process has been 鈥渟treamlined,鈥� she remembers the feeling of being able to help those who needed it. The family lawyer recalls the feeling she would get when an adoption was complete.
鈥淭he parents seemed so grateful 鈥� it鈥檚 the realization of a dream for them 鈥� and that鈥檚 one thing I always remember, the way they seemed to be so grateful for the work,鈥� she says.
But the biggest piece of advice Isherwood has to offer, is the same message she told the University of British Columbia graduating law students when she received an honorary doctorate, where she graduated from more than 69 years ago.
鈥淏e approachable,鈥� she says. 鈥淟et them come to you and then you can help them, that鈥檚 a good recipe.鈥�
鈥� With files from Arnold Lim
kendra.crighton@blackpress.ca
Follow us on Instagram Like us on and follow us on .
