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The first day of class 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. Everyday 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 all of her 3 x 5 note cards.
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 everyday. 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 rarely have regrets for the things 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. 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.

Tonight, before you go to bed, give your problems to God.
He will be up all night anyway.