SUNDAY BRUNCH: 'CAROLINE'

On the first day of university our professor introduced himself and asked 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 silver-haired, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.

She said, 'Hi handsome! My name is Carol, Caroline Jesse. I'm seventy-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 degree and now I'm going to get one!' she told me.

After class we walked to the students' cafeteria and shared a chocolate milkshake.

We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months, we would leave class together and talk non-stop. I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and experience with me!

Over the course of the year, Carol became a campus icon. She easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her by the other students. She was really living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Carol 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 three 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 and you’ve got to work for it. When you lose your dreams, you die.'

'We’ve so many people walking around who’re dead and don't even know it!'

'There’s a huge difference between growing older and growing up.'

'If you’re nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you’ll turn twenty-nine years old right away. If I’m seventy-seven and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I’ll 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 young usually don't have regrets for what they do. Rather, we have for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.'

She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'Sweet Caroline.'

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Carol finished the college course she had begun all those months ago.

One week after graduation Carol 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 what you want to be.

Remember, growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.

(adapted from the writings of David Foster Wallace)