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 87 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 kids..."
"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 3 x 5 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 19
years old
and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will
turn 20 years old. If I am 87 years old and stay in bed for a year and never
do anything, I will turn 88. 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's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those
years ago.
One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over 2,000
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.
When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to
your friends and
family, they'll really enjoy it!
These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.
REMEMBER: GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.
We make a Living by what we get; we make a Life by what we give. God promises
a
safe landing,
not a calm passage. If God brings you to it - He will bring you
through it.
