Thread: Rose

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 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 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'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 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.


When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice
to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it!


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.

That was beautiful! Thank you for sharing that with us!

Well Said!

Thanks DreamWarrior!