At the beginning of the summer, I attended a birthday party for someone very special: my Nana. She turned 99! We’re already counting down to her next milestone year. And, if you look around, my Nana is in good company with many Americans now achieving centenarian status.

Every year, UnitedHealthcare polls 100 centenarians for their insights on reaching the century milestone. To mark the survey’s 10th anniversary in 2015, UnitedHealthcare also polled one hundred 10-year-olds to compare responses among the generations. Findings from the survey suggest that 100-year-olds are staying active, feeling positive, and embracing the present. And the kids? Though they may be small, their thoughts are anything but. Here are some key takeaways as reported by Brandpoint:

Embrace your smile lines.

Mind and body are linked, according to 1-in-4 centenarians who said the key to staying healthy is having a positive attitude. This aligns with last year’s survey, in which two thirds of centenarians said attitude is as important as physical health in terms of living 100 years or more. When it comes to positivity, the 100-year-olds have an edge on the kids. More than half (61%) said they feel very positive, while only 44% of 10-yearolds said the same. On the bright side, centenarians said it gets easier to maintain a positive attitude with age, so 10-year-olds have the next 90 years to catch up! Both groups said family & friends are key to maintaining a positive attitude.

Nurture family relationships.

Despite many years together, centenarians feel anything but “stuck” with their families. In fact, they actively stay in touch, with 83% saying they speak with extended family members at least weekly. Nearly 9-in-10 centenarians (89%) said visiting with loved ones makes them happy, and two-thirds of 10-year-olds agree. Almost half (45%) of 100-year-olds and 40% of 10-year-olds said they’d prefer to spend time with a family member above anyone else in the world. And when it comes to childhood role models, both groups cited family above teachers, celebrities, or others, with mom being the most popular choice.

Age is just a number.

While both groups said it’s good to be young, many centenarians embrace their age. Perhaps that’s because, on average, the 100-year-olds reported feeling more than two decades younger than they are, and 60% said they do not feel old! Given the choice between being their current age or 10-years-old, 58% of centenarians said they would rather be 100!

At the end of the summer, I celebrated a different birthday milestone with the birth of my son, Finn.  Finn is actually named in honor of my 99-year-old Nana (Dorothy Finn Murphy). It is a true blessing to see the sweet embrace of a great-grandmother and great-grandson!