The 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 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 usuall! y 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. 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. God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to it--He will bring you through it.
Wow Suravees It is so beautiful. It is so true at any age you can learn anything you want. Before coming to Egypt I was in Australia. You know all the old ladies there at the age of retirement they have they own groups and meet at one place and share they work with each other. And they do such beautiful things wow it is just great, cross stitch and all is done so neat I really appreciate them a lot. After reading about rose I remembered this so thot will share it with u. I too use to go there and got a lot to learn. There was one lady who had cancer and would die at any time, i was shocked to hear about her and see her doing such beautiful embrodiery work and you couldn't see a small line of saddness on her face, always smiling and helping others to teach them what she know. She was still alive when I left Australia. she is 76yrs old, May God give her somemore years. Love Aruna
Hey aruna. i really love such senti-frwds and have a good collection of the same.shall send u more in the days to come! Life is really worth living 'inspite' of whatever probs each one of us face! good day to all of u.hopefully we meet up in person also sometimes....:wave
Good one , All of us should agree that everybody is fighting their own battle and lets not trouble them with our attitude, just that we understand the logic. Wat ya say Guys? Regards, 3012
Suravees, I read so many forwards and posts but this one is such a wonderful piece. So many things to learn from the story of this 87 year old.. Infact, how many of us when we turn 87, would have the same determination to do things that we failed to do or could not do as a youngster.?.. I wish to be one... It is more common in Indian parents to impose ambitions that they were not able to achieve as a youngster and fulfilling it through their offspring.. A nice forward indeed..
A beautiful message from Rose. "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing" - wow, how true isn't it? I agree with Aruna too. There is no age limit for anything here. That is something very beautiful about this place. There is always a learning opportunity available for you to do what you want when you want. People enrolling in courses at the age of 60, changing career totally at the age of 40 and things like that used to be a shock for me to hear but I have come to realise how wonderful it is to have that flexibility. What an inspiration Rose is!
