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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, "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 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 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.
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 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 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.
) told me to follow my dreams and travel while we were young. They saved and saved and waited until they retired, but health problems got both of them and they were not able to do anything but help one another. The money they saved paid for their health care, not their travels. We have tried to follow their advice and have had some wonderful t/s trips, and now are taking tours to places we want to see. Yes, follow your dreams as long as you are able to.
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