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 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 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 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.
Some say love it is the river
that drowns the tender reed.
Some say love it is the razor
that leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love it is a hunger
an aching endless need.
I say love it is a flower
and you, it's only seed.
It's the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking
that never takes a chance.
It's the one who won't be taken
who cannot seem to give,
and the soul afraid of dying
that never learns to live.
When the night has been too lonely
and the road has been too long,
and you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong,
just remember in the winter
far beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed that with the sun's love
in the spring becomes the Rose.
And unless you've made other plans, have a wonderful life!
By Anonymous |
