*****************************************
>>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.
>>
>>
>> 1) You have to laugh and find humor every day.
>>
>>
>> 2) 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!
>>
>>
>> 3) 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.
>>
>>
>> 4) 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.
>>
>>
>> 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.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>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.
>>
>>
>> 1) You have to laugh and find humor every day.
>>
>>
>> 2) 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!
>>
>>
>> 3) 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.
>>
>>
>> 4) 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.
>>
>>
>> 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.
>>
>>
>>
>>
