GROWING UP OR OLD

I can't vouch for the validity, but the story is good nonetheless.

Growing Up or Growing Old
By: Author Unknown

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 87 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.
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 3x5 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 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 they don't even know
it!" she said.

"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 20 years old. If I am 87 years old, and stay in bed for
a year, and never do anything, I will turn 88. Anybody can
grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability," she
added.

"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 years 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.

Thanks to Jim for sharing this story.