DREAMS (non ds)

[Guest guest]

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. 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.

When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice

to

your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it! These words have

been

passed along in loving memory of ROSE.

[Guest guest]

I agree take it ,maybe it will help you clear your mind. Nettie619