The first day of college is scary for most people.
For Rose, it was different. Rose was 87 years old.
She walked into class with her white hair done up perfectly and a big smile on her face. Everyone turned to look. A few people whispered. One student finally walked over and asked her why she was there.
"I'm here to meet a rich husband," she said with a wink. "Get married. Have a couple of children. You know, the usual."
Everyone laughed. And just like that, Rose became the most popular person on campus.
She had a dream she kept putting off.
Rose had always wanted a college education. But life kept getting in the way. She got married young. She raised a family. She worked. She got old.
At 87, she finally said enough waiting.
At the end of the year, Rose was invited to give a speech at the football team's banquet. Everyone leaned in to hear what this tiny, white-haired woman had to say.
What she said changed the room.
"We do not stop playing because we are old. We grow old because we stop playing."
She looked around the room and smiled.
"There are four secrets to staying young, being happy, and doing well in life," she said.
"You have to laugh. You have to find something funny every day. Laughter is medicine."
"You have to keep thinking and learning. The moment your mind stops growing, your heart starts shrinking."
"You have to have dreams. Real ones. Big ones. When you stop dreaming, something inside you dies."
She paused.
"Growing older is something that happens to all of us. Growing up is a choice. Make it."
What Rose knew that most of us forget.
You are never too old to start something new. You are never too late to go after what you really want.
Most people wait for the right time. The right time to go back to school. The right time to learn something new. The right time to chase that dream they have been carrying around for years.
Rose did not wait for the right time. She made the time.
Do not let age be your excuse.
Rose did not have excuses. She had a dream. And she went after it at 87 years old.
What dream have you been putting off?
There is still time. Rose proved it.
"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."