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 mewith 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 andenthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me agiant 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,and 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 gettingone!" she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared achocolate milkshake.
We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months wewould leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerizedlistening 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 uponher from the other students. She was living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our footballbanquet.
I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and steppedup to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, shedropped 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 andthis whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so letme just tell you what I know."
As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, "We do not stopplaying because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.
There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, andachieving 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 anddon't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I ameighty-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. Theidea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have noregrets.
The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather forthings we did not do. The only people who fear death are those withregrets."
She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose."
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in ourdaily lives.
At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun allthose years ago.
One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.
Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute tothe wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.
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.
