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 next 4 years, 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 our
last 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 ninety years old and stay in bed for a year and
never do anything I will turn ninety-one.
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 years 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.