tinatinz
2nd Jul '08 Wed, 13:34
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, 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 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
> 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.
> 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, 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 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
> 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.