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Very Special Lady
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 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 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!
GROWING
OLDER IS MANDATORY, GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.