From: John Wolfe 

Subject: growing older

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 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 non-stop.  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.

If you read this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends
and family, they'll really enjoy it!  We send these words in loving memory
of ROSE.

Remember, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY, GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.
People without dreams are our worst nightmare.