The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know
someone we didn't 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, girl! My name is Rose. I'm 87 years old. Can I give you a hug?"
I laughed and enthusiastically(热情地)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, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel!"
"No seriously," I said. 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.
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.
"We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are
only two 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!" she said.
"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 20 years old. If I am
87 years old, and stay in bed for a year, and never do anything, I will turn 88. Anybody can grow
older. But every minute counts for young men," she added.
"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 Song of Rose.She challenged each of us
to study the lyrics(歌词)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.
The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know
someone we didn't 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, girl! My name is Rose. I'm 87 years old. Can I give you a hug?"
I laughed and enthusiastically(热情地)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, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel!"
"No seriously," I said. 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.
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.
"We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are
only two 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!" she said.
"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 20 years old. If I am
87 years old, and stay in bed for a year, and never do anything, I will turn 88. Anybody can grow
older. But every minute counts for young men," she added.
"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 Song of Rose.She challenged each of us
to study the lyrics(歌词)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.
正在翻譯中..