A lesson of life

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
wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with
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 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 3 x 5 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 19 years old and lie in bed for one full
year and don't do one productive thing, you will
turn 20 years old. If I am 87 years old and stay in
bed for a year and 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 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 2,000 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.