Growing up(Repost)

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, and 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 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