came across this email. so decided to share the story with 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 revealed 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 OPTIONAL. We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give.

"Good friends are like stars.........You don't always see them, but you know they are always there."

Been a while since i last wrote.

Work. Been busy since last Dec 2004. You can never imagine the kind of workload you are getting. As most of my stuff are more ad-hoc. a lot of things came un-planned yet still have to do. i guess this is what we called surprises. Buried in work. soon i forsee my blog will be a monthly issue thing. wahahahahah.

Love. many have expressed their concern. i thank all who did. I'm fine. we're getting on fine. not that i'm expressive to some or the frequent readers; i guess i should left certain things unsaid. i was thinking.....

perhaps i was impulsive getting into a relationship,
perhaps i was just tasting abit of love after being single for so long,
perhaps i am selfish, giving too little,
perhaps i wasn't expressive...

alot of questions came in my mind when we first got started. yes, also those honeymoon days. now i am sure of what i want and of my mentality. i like her. and there are things there both couples should settle with both heads. not just letting one head to go spinning and knocking on walls; cracking oneself to solve it. and i think time does plays a big part. meeting the right person at wrong time equals to none. meeting the wrong person at the right time equals to none too. but how can we be sure if the person is right or wrong one at that time. time being a measurement introduce by man to keep track of night and day ; had been used in other terms.

As far as i thought i knew quite abit of stuff; i may be wrong. that there's no right or wrong answer to many things but a matter of choice. you made the choice, you deem it. and the final question, you might ask yourself is whether you make the right choice? i think its depends on individual. but don't cry over spilled milk. it's all part of the learning process.

when was the last time you went through a self-life teaching session?