Oklahoma City, OK – A woman from Oklahoma is declaring 25 candles on her birthday cake, all thanks to a technicality in the calendar.
Irene Hodge was born on February 29, 1924, making her a leap year baby. Because of this, she only gets to celebrate her actual birth date every four years, technically making her just a quarter of a century old.
“It’s just a bit of fun,” said Hodge, who was surrounded by her family, friends, and fellow retirees. “I mean, I’ve been around a little longer than 25 years, but I’m really still just a young lady.”
Hodge is one of around five million people in the world born on Leap Day, according to the Honor Society of Leap Year Day Babies. That’s five million people who arguably have permission to not act their age.
“It’s great to be part of such an exclusive club,” said Hodge. “We leaplings are definitely a rare breed. We’re like unicorns, but real.”
However, it seems that Hodge’s claim to youth may not be the only technicality here. A deeper look at the situation reveals that Hodge could, in fact, be much older than she lets on.
According to government records, Hodge has received social security checks for over forty years. By simple arithmetic, it can be inferred that she is, in reality, quadruple her supposed age.
When asked about this discrepancy, Hodge merely laughed and shrugged. “I don’t know where they get their math from,” she said.
Despite suggestions that Hodge’s celebration is nothing but a gimmick, her family says they’re simply happy to celebrate her life.
“My grandma is one of the strongest people I know,” said her grandson, Lucas Diaz. “She’s always been an inspiration to everyone in the family, so to celebrate her birthday like this is a no-brainer.”
As for Hodge, she says she’s just going to keep doing what she’s been doing for the past 25 years. “I live a pretty boring life,” she said. “I go to bed early and wake up early. I don’t drink or smoke. Maybe that’s the secret to youth.”
While the secret to Hodge’s longevity may remain a mystery, one thing is for sure – she’ll never have to worry about growing old. After all, she’s technically turning 25 on Thursday.
