Growing Up vs Growing Old



Another good story...read on.

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 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 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.

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. Have a blessed day!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Quote: "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing."

How very true those words are, and what a wonderful person she must have been. Many have forgotten how to have fun, do silly things like go out and splash in the puddles. Yes we all age and the body grows old, but you can still keep the child inside you alive. My daughter her friends, my nephews and neices are all young teenagers, but I can still laugh with them and act like a fool. It's important not to be serious all the time, then you do get old!
Act your shoe size not your age, it's much more fun....after all, life is for LIVING.
Have a blessed week my friend.
cotojo
Ensharing said…
A great motivating and touching story.Thanks Sophiagurl for giving such a wonderful read.
Good luck.
Anonymous said…
I love this. Thanks
Jan Pieter said…
Good read, ..snip..Anybody can grow older, That doesn't take any talent of ability..snip..

Motivating me to stay young and to make others happy, To help and give back to others what God has endowed in me..
Anonymous said…
What we do, give, and share are the things that really matter... that's right, never regret the things you have done (but didn't turned out well), rather regret for the things you haven't done when there was a chance to do so...

nice post!
Jenny said…
What a wonderfully inspiring story...made me thing about my dreams! Thanks!
Sophiagurl said…
@@@Cotojo - "Act your shoe size not your age, it's much more fun....after all, life is for LIVING." Words to live by my friend. Laughing and having fun is so much easier than worrying and frowning. God Bless!

@@@Surjit - thanks Surjit, I'm glad you liked my post today. God bless you!

@@@Susiej - thanks Susiej.

@@@asimplelife - "regret for the things you haven't done when there was a chance to do so..." so very true and something we all should be in the look out for. thanks for visiting.

@@@Jdoriot - thank you jdoriot, i'm glad i was able to help you do that. thank you for the visit.

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