ATLANTA — Friday was a big birthday today for Clara Bridges, known as Mama Bridges.

She’s 102 years old and she had a big birthday wish.

“What do we do with this beautiful life? where do we go with it,?” Bridges asked.

With this life, she went to nursing school, then into the U.S. Army.

Working as a pediatric nurse at Grady Hospital, Bridges once had a chance encounter with a teenager from the Old Fourth Ward: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

She said she knew that young man would do great things.

On her birthday, Bridges just had two wishes: a chili dog from The Varsity and to meet the daughter of King, Bernice King

“I’m here to honor her,” King said.

Bernice, the youngest child of Dr. King sang Bridges Happy Birthday.

“It meant everything to me, just to see her smile. It’s a smile to me and I know he’s just laughing up there,” Bernice King said.

Mama Bridges has lived at the Peachtree Senior Towers for 47 years, longer than anyone else.

The community threw her a birthday party to remember on Friday afternoon.

And yes, she had her birthday supper from The Varsity.

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