Hi Guys, saw this elsewhere. Good to share......
Growing Up... Or Growing Old ?
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 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 everyday.
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 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.
