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When Raymond Donaldson was 93 years old, he prayed and asked God to allow him to live to see 100 years old, simply because he wanted to "see how it felt". God answered his prayer. Last Thursday, his family and friends gathered at the Christ Church in Vineyard Town, St Andrew, to celebrate the milestone.

Donaldson told THE STAR that he decided to celebrate this milestone on the final day of him being 100 years old. He actually reached 101 the following day.

"Is the Lord bless me to live until this time, and I feel good. I don't have no big sickness, but as the song seh, 'when you pass the river, you fight life final war with pain,' suh yuh cya avoid pain. When yuh old yuh have to have pain, but I feel good," he said.

Donaldson said he has catarac, but he is still able to see. He believes he is simply reaping the reward of a good life.

"Mi nuh have nuh special secret, the scripture says do good to everybody and good will follow you; and it seh again, love your enemy as yourself, and you days will be long. And, give and your cup will flow over," he said

Donaldson, originally from Soho in St Thomas, is the only surviving one of nine siblings. In his younger days, he travelled all over the island as a carpenter building houses. In fact, he told THE STAR that he built the church hall in which his birthday celebration was being held. And also helped to built refugee camps for Jews at The University of the West Indies during World War II.

Fifty-one years ago, he met and married his wife, who passed away in 2013. The two had 12 children. These children produced 42 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren.

A piece of advice given to him by a Maroon when he was just a teenager, has been the guiding light in his life.

"When I was 16 year old, I met a Maroon man who tell mi seh, young man, as long as you live, doh beg nobody nothing, if you want a thing and yuh doh have the money, doh touch it, doh owe nobody," he said.

Donaldson said that he has passed these lessons on to his children.

Ann-Marie Linnette, one of his daughters, told THE STAR that she admires her father's resilience at his age,

"He always say do for yourself what you can do, don't let nobody else do it got you. He'll still get up and makes his tea," she said.

Now that Donaldson has scored more than 100, he said he is leaving the rest in God's hand.

"It's the Father's will, I don't know what around the bend," he said.