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. 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 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 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.

Wow Crusins............Thank You for sharing your Rose with us.......what a lovely lady she was and she was also blessed in having a friend classmate as you!

I read all of your forums and I wish you luck in finding the turkish woman you spoke of.She is a lucky women to have met you too. I also enjoyed your list of I mportant things in life......so true.

My classy classmate thanks for your forums very enlightening in more way's than one. I knew The Rose story would make me cry so at the end it was no surprise to weap.

God Bless you snd Take care!

Peace and Happiness to all of you Classy Classmates

Love
Kelley
Privet Tsarevna

Wonderful story. Rose was heavenly person, I think. I was amazed how positive she was,and reached her goal even in the end of her life. She is very good example for all of us. She proved that it is never late to have your dreams come true.

I have come accross this many times looking at old posts. This one sticks out to me as one of my favorites..as it dearly touched me. What powerful meaning..dream the impossible..with determination and motivation you can achieve just about anything.

Teas... I'd love to read it, but it's too long... :-S

Ok.. I read it and I can't call you teacup.. This story resonates with me actually because some time ago I also met a couple 80-something year old ladies and they were fabulous, amazing people... I was thinking how sad it is that most of these people are doomed to be lonely in their old age..

I received this story as an e-mail that had been forwarded from a friend a couple of days ago.