olden is golden

> 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 round 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, and
> 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 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.
>
> 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.
>
> God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to it, He
> will bring you through it.
>
> Pass this message to 7 people except you and me.
> If you choose not, then you refuse to bless someone else.
>
>
> 'Good friends are like stars.........You don't always see them, but you know
> they are always there.'