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My family celebrated my paternal grandmother's 100th birthday this past weekend by throwing a party. 50 of our relatives came out of the woodwork to wish her well. Her official birthday is June 30th. And my maternal grandmother is going to be 102 on November 10th. Aside from the expected loss of sight, periodic lapses in memory, and reduction of appetite, I have to say that these two ladies are remarkable. They maintain conversations and they are sharp. In honor of my Grammy's 100th year, many of us gave short speeches. It was interesting to see how some presenters were uncomfortable when they didn't have eye contact from her. There were times that she needed to look away, feeling emotional and wanting to hold it together. It just made me realize that, sometimes, we look away from someone who is speaking to us when we sense that we may reveal something about ourselves (make ourselves vulnerable) by maintaining eye contact. In general, I say, look away but come back as soon as possible. For Gram, I'm gonna let her slide. This year! Happy 100th Gram! To be added to Lanartco's Communication Performance Tip of the Week, please connect to this link or send your email address to info@lanartco.com.