Never too Late To Be!

 

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

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 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, 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 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.

~Author Unknown~

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Stella

Be All You Can Be!