"There is a giant 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 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 Rose". She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.
At 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.
上学的第一天，教授向化学班的全体同学作了自我介绍，还鼓励我们去结识并不认识的人。我站起来向四周望去，正在这时，有人轻轻拍了拍我的肩膀。我转过身来，看到一位满脸皱纹、个子矮小的老太太正对着我开心地笑着，她的笑容使她看起来容光焕发。
她说道：“你好，英俊的小伙子。我是罗斯，今年87岁。我能不能拥抱你一下？”
我笑了，热情地回答道：“当然可以。”她给了我一个大大的拥抱。
“你为什么在这么年轻、这么纯真的年纪选择上大学？”我开玩笑地说。
她也开玩笑地回答：“我到这里来就是想找一个有钱的丈夫结婚，生几个孩子，然后退休去旅行。”
“你不是在开玩笑吧？”我问道。我非常好奇，想知道是什么力量使她在这样的年纪去迎接这样的挑战。