ROSE

 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 friendswherever 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 everyday. 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!  We send these words in loving memory of ROSE.



         Remember,

  GROWING OLDER
IS  MANDATORY......

               GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.



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