I recieved this today from a dear friend and I wanted to remember it.

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. 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. Pass this message to 7 people except you and
me. You will receive a miracle tomorrow. If you choose not, then you refuse
to bless someone else.

Searching For on 10/29/2002 03:07:00 PM.