THE STORY OF LIFE

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to
serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you
want to become. You never know who these people may be (possibly your roommate, neighbor,
coworker, longlost friend, lover, or even a complete stranger) but when you lock eyes with them, you
know at that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.

And sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in
reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your
potential, strength, willpower, or heart.
Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of luck. Illness, injury, love,
lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without
these small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to
nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience help to create
who you become. Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the most
poignant and important ones. If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them,
for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious when you open your
heart. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but
because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.

Make every day count!!! Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you
possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never
talked to before, and actually listen. Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold
your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in
yourself, for if you don’t believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you. You can make
of your life anything you wish. Create your own life then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets.
AN 87 YEAR OLD COLLEGE STUDENT NAMED ROSE

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, 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

We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give.