Saturday, February 9, 2013

A Rose is A Rose is A Rose....

this is a true story which I am only re-telling.

it's a story needing to be re-told many many many more times.

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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.




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12 comments:

  1. Fantastic and very inspiring. Thank you for sharing.

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  2. Marsha, this story has always been a favorite. I was younger than this woman but older, by more than a decade, when I returned to university. It made all the difference in the world! I wasn't a slave to the opinion of other's...including professors and would go toe-to-toe with them on a variety of issues. University is a wonderful place to grow but I think it's wasted on the young. The young are MUCH too easy to sway.

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  3. Dearest Marsha,
    Such perfect timing!
    Thank you for sharing this story. I turn 61 in a few days.
    ~Lynne
    w/L.

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  4. This is so touching and brings tears to my eyes.
    I find it so inspirational as I start a new chapter in my "mature" professional life. Thank you- Susan at Romancing the Home.

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  5. What a beautiful way to start my Saturday. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  6. I absolutely love this story Marsha and it's true in every word. Thank you for sharing this very insiring story and here's to growing up not old!

    XXX
    Debra~

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  7. This is such a good story Marsha. How lucky you were to meet such a lovely person!
    Thank you for writing this I sincerely hope the wisdom Rose passed on goes around and around.

    Hugs Jane

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  8. Oh Marsha,
    What a beautiful story of a wonderful woman......someone who did everything for a full life and gave so much to those young students too. I hope that I shall be just like Rose and fill my life with as much as she did. She must have inspired so many people. XXXX

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  9. Marsha, that is such a beautiful story with such an important message... I am going to send it to my three children and others... thanks, Terri

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  10. Marsha, that is such a beautiful story with such an important message... I am going to send it to my three children and others... thanks, Terri

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  11. Great,great,great story!!!

    ....it´s just amazing woman,how fantastic is that,Marsha:-)))*

    I want to read them once more time and telling to everyone!!!

    Thank you so much,

    Hugs,
    ***Violetta***

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