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Living or Growing Older ?
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 non stop. 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 revelled 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, 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 humour 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 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. 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
Footnote: Anybody who knew Rose please get in touch.
I would love a photo. Also, if anybody has the lyrics to "The Rose"
they would make a nice end to this story. Thanks. Ed.
Copyright Allen Jesson :) 2000
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