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, 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 earning 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 reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students.
She was really "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, Rose 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
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 are meant to be! The
Rose
by Bette Midler
Some say love
It is a river
That
drowns the tender reed
Some say love
It is a razor
That leaves
your soul to bleed
Some say love
It is a hunger
An endless
aching need
I say love
It is a flower
And you
It's
only seed
It's the heart
Afraid of breaking
That never
Learns
to dance
It's the dream
Afraid of waking
That never
Takes
the chance
It's the one
Who won't be taken
Who cannot seem
to give
And the soul
Afraid of dying
That never learns to
live
When the night
Has been too lonely
And the road
Has
been too long
And you think
That love is only
For the lucky
And the strong.
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath
The
bitter snow
Lies the seed
That with the sun's love
In the
spring
Becomes a rose
This
page is decicated to "Rose" As Rose would say "Let's get going!" Sincerely,
Linda
"You have to laugh and find humor every day."
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