At 98, the Music Still Plays
The extraordinary life of Atty. Antonio “Tonying” Pastor reminds us that the secret of growing old beautifully may be to never stop finding reasons to live.
By Rafael R. Castillo, MD
Tomorrow, November 8, a distinguished Filipino lawyer will celebrate his 98th birthday. There will be a Thanksgiving Mass at 10 in the morning, followed by a birthday luncheon at Hotel PonteFino in Batangas City. Family members, friends, and well-wishers will gather to honor a man who has witnessed nearly a century of history.
But if you ask Atty. Antonio “Tonying” Pastor what has made his long life especially meaningful, his answer may surprise you. It is not a legal triumph, an impressive professional accomplishment, or the accumulation of material possessions.
It is music.
As he likes to say, with a smile that reflects both wisdom and humor:
“To exist, I’m a lawyer; but to live, I’m a musician.”
In those few words lies a philosophy of life that many of us spend decades trying to discover.
The lawyer who never stopped playing
I had the privilege of meeting Atty. Pastor and listening to him play the piano. It was an unforgettable experience. Here was a gentleman approaching his 98th birthday, seated before a magnificent grand piano, his hands moving across the keyboard with concentration, affection, and unmistakable passion.
For a few precious moments, his age became irrelevant. I was not watching a 97-year-old performing an extraordinary feat for someone his age. I was watching a musician doing what he loved. And that made all the difference.
Atty. Pastor graduated from the University of the Philippines Conservatory of Music in 1952. More than seven decades later, the compositions of Chopin, Mozart, Lecuona, and other great masters remain cherished companions.
He is also an accomplished tenor who has performed in films and on stages, including performances overseas. Yet some of his most treasured musical offerings have been in church, where he has sung sacred pieces such as Panis Angelicus in praise and thanksgiving to God.
His life has been enriched by two distinguished callings. The law has provided him a profession. Music has given him a passion. And together, they have helped shape a life of uncommon richness.
A secret that cannot be bought
In an era fascinated by longevity clinics, anti-aging supplements, biological clocks, and expensive interventions promising to slow the passage of time, Atty. Pastor offers a refreshing perspective.
He has not discovered a magic formula that guarantees exceptional longevity. Indeed, no such formula exists. Genetics, environment, medical care, lifestyle, social circumstances, and chance all influence how long we live.
But while we cannot fully control the number of years allotted to us, we can influence what we put into those years. And Atty. Pastor has filled his with music, friendship, service, and gratitude.
As a physician who has spent decades trying to help patients live longer, I find his example profoundly instructive. We doctors measure blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, kidney function, and cardiovascular risk. These measurements matter enormously. They help us prevent illness, reduce complications, and preserve physical independence. But they cannot tell us whether someone still wakes up excited about the day ahead.
They cannot measure the pleasure of an old friendship, the satisfaction of sharing one’s talents, or the joy of playing a beloved melody.
Perhaps the most important question in healthy aging is not simply, “How many years can we add to life?”
It is also, “How much life can we add to those years?”
“To exist, I’m a lawyer; but to live, I’m a musician.”—Atty. Tonying Pastor
The enduring gift of friendship
Another beautiful dimension of Atty. Pastor’s life is his appreciation of friendship. He has maintained the cherished pleasure of meeting friends over coffee in Manila.
To younger people, such gatherings may seem unremarkable. But imagine the value of friendships nurtured across decades. The shared memories. The laughter over familiar stories. The comfort of companionship. The reassurance that, despite the passing years, we still belong to a circle of people who care.
Research consistently associates strong social relationships with better health and well-being, although such associations do not mean that friendship alone guarantees a longer life. Still, friendship offers something no medicine can replace. It reminds us that life is meant to be shared. And perhaps that is why a simple cup of coffee with old friends can sometimes be as nourishing to the spirit as a carefully prescribed treatment is to the body.
The faith behind the music
What particularly touched me during my encounter with Atty. Pastor was his humility and gratitude. He recognizes that his talents, his abilities, and his remarkable years are blessings entrusted to him by God. He does not regard them merely as personal achievements. He regards them as gifts to be shared.
In the Foreword he graciously wrote for my forthcoming book, Add Life to Your Years, he reflects on the responsibility that accompanies longevity. Good health and long life, he believes, are blessings from the Lord, and we are their stewards.
That is a beautiful way to look at aging. For what good is an additional year if it is lived only for ourselves?
We may no longer possess the physical strength of our youth. Our professional responsibilities may diminish. Our days may move at a gentler pace. But opportunities to give never entirely disappear.
We can offer encouragement. We can share wisdom. We can comfort someone who is grieving. We can pray for others. We can teach a child. We can offer music. We can simply be present. Atty. Pastor’s life reminds us that usefulness is not measured only by productivity, and human worth does not diminish with age or disability.
Growing older without growing weary
At 98, Atty. Pastor belongs to a generation that has witnessed transformations almost beyond imagination. He has lived through wars, social upheavals, technological revolutions, and extraordinary advances in medicine.
The world of his childhood bears little resemblance to the world of smartphones, artificial intelligence, and modern cardiovascular interventions. Yet one thing has remained wonderfully constant.
His love of music.
There is something deeply reassuring about that. It tells us that although our bodies change, our capacity for wonder, affection, creativity, and gratitude can endure.
Of course, not everyone who reaches advanced age will retain Atty. Pastor’s remarkable musical abilities. Many older adults live with illness, frailty, disability, or other limitations. Their lives are no less meaningful or deserving of celebration.
The lesson is not that we must all become accomplished pianists at 98. It is that we should never assume growing older means we must stop growing as human beings.
A gardener may continue nurturing a few flowers. A teacher may mentor one young student. A grandmother may share stories with her grandchildren. A retired professional may discover a new vocation in community service. And a lawyer may continue making beautiful music almost a century after his birth.
The tempo may change. But the melody need not end.
“Atty. Pastor once reflected that life, like a beautiful musical composition, derives its meaning not simply from its length, but from the harmony, feeling, and purpose we bring to it.”
A birthday worth celebrating
Tomorrow, as Atty. Tonying Pastor gathers with those who love and admire him, there will be much to celebrate.
Ninety-eight years is an extraordinary milestone. But the greater achievement is not merely reaching that age.
It is having lived those years with passion, purpose, friendship, and faith.
His life offers an important reminder to those of us who sometimes become overly preoccupied with the arithmetic of aging.
We count birthdays. We count wrinkles. We count medicines. We count the years we hope are still ahead. Perhaps we should also count our blessings.
The friends who remain. The people we love. The opportunities to serve. The talents we can still share. And the ordinary mornings that God continues to give us.
Atty. Pastor once reflected that life, like a beautiful musical composition, derives its meaning not simply from its length, but from the harmony, feeling, and purpose we bring to it.
What a fitting philosophy for a man approaching a century of life.
Happy 98th birthday, Atty. Tonying!
May God continue to bless you with good health, happiness, meaningful companionship, and many more opportunities to share your wonderful gift of music.
And may your remarkable life remind all of us of one enduring truth: We cannot choose how many years we will live. But we can strive to make every year a life worth living.
The years may pass. The tempo may slow. But for Atty. Tonying Pastor, thank God, the music still plays.
And may it continue playing for many more beautiful years.
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