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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 betaking 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
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 and 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 protective 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 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. |
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