The first day of school our
professor introduced himself and
challenged us to get to know someone
we didn't already know. I stood up
to look around when a gentle hand
touched my shoulder. I turned around
to find a wrinkled, little old lady
beaming up at me with a smile that
lit up her entire being.
She said, "Hi handsome. My name is
Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old.
Can I give you a hug?" I laughed and
enthusiastically responded,"Of
course you may!" and she gave me a
giant squeeze. "Why are you in
college at such a young, innocent
age?" I asked. She jokingly replied,
"I'm here to meet a rich husband,
get married, have a couple of
children, and then retire and
travel."
"No seriously," I asked. I was
curious what may have motivated her
to be taking on this challenge at
her age. "I always dreamed of having
a college education and now I'm
getting one!" she told me. After
class we walked to the student union
building and shared a chocolate
milkshake.
We became instant friends. Every day
for the next three months we would
leave class together and talk
nonstop. I was always mesmerized
listening to this "time machine" as
she shared her wisdom and experience
with me.
Over the course of the year, Rose
became a campus icon and she easily
made friends wherever she went. She
loved to dress up and she reveled in
the attention bestowed upon her from
the other students. She was living
it up.
At the end of the semester we
invited Rose to speak at our
football banquet. I'll never forget
what she taught us. She was
introduced and stepped up to the
podium. As she began to deliver her
prepared speech, she dropped her
three by five cards on the floor.
Frustrated and a little embarrassed
she leaned into the microphone and
simply said "I'm sorry I'm so
jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and
this whiskey is killing me! I'll
never get my speech back in order so
let me just tell you what I know."
As we laughed she cleared her throat
and began: "We do not stop playing
because we are old; we grow old
because we stop playing. There are
only four secrets to staying young,
being happy, and achieving success.
You have to laugh and find humor
every day. You've got to have a
dream. When you lose your dreams,
you die. We have so many people
walking around who are dead and
don't even know it!"
There is a huge difference between
growing older and growing up. If you
are nineteen years old and lie in
bed for one full year and don't do
one productive thing, you will turn
twenty years old.
If I am eighty-seven years old and
stay in bed for a year and never do
anything I will turn eighty-eight.
Anybody can grow older. That doesn't
take any talent or ability. The idea
is to grow up by always finding the
opportunity in change."
Have no regrets.The elderly usually
don't have regrets for what we did,
but rather for things we did not do.
The only people who fear death are
those with regrets.
She concluded her speech by
courageously singing "The Rose." She
challenged each of us to study the
lyrics and live them out in our
daily lives.
At the year end Rose finished the
college degree she had begun all
those years ago. One week after
graduation Rose died peacefully in
her sleep. Over two thousand college
students attended her funeral in
tribute to the wonderful woman who
taught by example that it's never
too late to be all you can possibly
be.
If you read this, please send this
peaceful word of advice to your
friends and family, they'll really
enjoy it! We send these words in
loving memory of ROSE.
Remember, GROWING OLDER IS
MANDATORY, GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.
AMEN TO THAT!!!