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Contributed by Jack Williamson, father of
Karl Williamson |
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GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL |
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he
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. |
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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 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 years 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 fiends 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. |
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