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 to me with a smile that lit up her entire being.
She said, "Hi, handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eight 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 andshared 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 theyear, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends. whereever she went. She loved to dress up and she revelled 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 little embarresed she leaned into the microphone andsimply 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 humour 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 eight seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I turn eight eight. Anybody can grow older, that doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is grow up by always finding the opportunity in change.
Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what, 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 peacefuly in her sleep.
Over two thousand collegestudents attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught them by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.
The Rose
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 its 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 dyin'
that never learns to live.
When the night has been too lonely
and the road has been to long,
and you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong,
just remember in the winter
far beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed that with the sun's love
in the spring becomes the rose.
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