The first day of school our professor introduced himself & 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 87 years old. Can I give you a hug?'
I laughed & 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 & now I'm getting one!' she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building & shared a chocolate milkshake.
We became instant friends. Every day for the next 3 months we would leave class together & talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom & experience with me..
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon & she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up & 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 & stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.
Frustrated & a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone & simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent & 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 & began, ' We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.
There are only 4 secrets to staying young, being happy & achieving success. You have to laugh & 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 & don't even know it!
There is a huge difference between growing older & growing up.
If you are 19 years old and lie in bed for one full year & don't do one productive thing, you will turn 20 years old. If I am 87 years old & stay in bed for a year & 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 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 & live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those months ago.
One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.
Over 2000 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.
'Good friends are like stars..... .....You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.'
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 & 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 & now I'm getting one!' she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building & shared a chocolate milkshake.
We became instant friends. Every day for the next 3 months we would leave class together & talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom & experience with me..
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon & she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up & 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 & stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.
Frustrated & a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone & simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent & 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 & began, ' We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.
There are only 4 secrets to staying young, being happy & achieving success. You have to laugh & 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 & don't even know it!
There is a huge difference between growing older & growing up.
If you are 19 years old and lie in bed for one full year & don't do one productive thing, you will turn 20 years old. If I am 87 years old & stay in bed for a year & 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 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 & live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those months ago.
One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.
Over 2000 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.
'Good friends are like stars..... .....You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.'
