Everyone has a dream. "Everyone". Including you.
You are not too slow, too old, too poor or too dumb to dream. Dreams change, they evolve, they grow and they mature. Sometimes we hang on so tight to an old ideal, and our hands remain closed to a new dream.
STOP the unbelief, it’s actually critical that you begin to dream again… your life depends upon it. Below is a story of an eighty seven year old lady who didn't give up on her dreams. I hope it inspires you.
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 (check after the quotes section for 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 months 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.
#Quote: “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” - C.S Lewis.
"The Rose" Lyrics
Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it is a hunger,
An endless aching need.
I say love, it is a flower,
And you its only seed.
It's the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance.
It's the one who won't be taken,
Who cannot seem to give,
And the soul afraid of dyin'
That never learns to live.
When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose.
That drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it is a hunger,
An endless aching need.
I say love, it is a flower,
And you its only seed.
It's the heart afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking
That never takes the chance.
It's the one who won't be taken,
Who cannot seem to give,
And the soul afraid of dyin'
That never learns to live.
When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only
For the lucky and the strong,
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose.
so inspiring.....good job
ReplyDeleteNice piece! Only people with regrets fear death.......
ReplyDeleteGod bless U.
Inspiring story; nice writing at that. Thumbs up!
ReplyDelete