Dreams

"Dreams"

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, 0f 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 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 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 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 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.

When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful
word of advice to your friends and family, they'll really
enjoy it!

These words have been passed along in loving memory
of ROSE.

Remember, Growing Older Is Mandatory. Growing Up
Is Optional.

We make a Living by what we get, we make a Life
by what we give.
Received on Sun Mar 28 11:13:08 2004