The Right Words, The Right Time

My aunt was recently diagnosed with cancer and has been given 6 months to live. I have been avoiding a direct conversation with her. Partly, cos I was sure she will break down and I will fail miserably in trying to get her to stop tearing and make her feel better.

So I started writing her a card. I got the first sentence written and damn I was stumped. She needed hope and I suck at writing. I gave up. Placed the card aside and was surfing the internet once again, a little lost yet thinking what exactly am I to put down in that card. I was sure I wanted the card to inspire her, help her pull herself together, to believe that she can recover. By the way I have this strong feeling that she will prove her Doctor wrong and will recover fully. Miracles occur don't they? Doctor's don't have a cure for Cancer hence they assign time limits to a person's life.

While net surfing, I was reading Muchacho's latest post on When does one become a hero? His friend is severely ill and was said to have only a few months left to live by his Doctor. Now, that was said 2 years ago. Our Hero actually lived over 6 months and is now into 2 years and running. Due to his illness he cannot physically exhaust himself so he doesn't hold a job. BUT Hero is instead putting himself through lotsa pain and drug experimentation for the benefit of others who might be similarly diagnosed in the future. Besides that he also serves as a guitar teacher for kids. He is not worried about the oncoming death but is living his life to the fullest. Hero is making sure that least the remaining time he has will not go to waste.

Aint Hero truly a HERO?? :D

I guess now I know what to write :)

The Rose that never Wilted

A true story to be shared...

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 whole being.

"Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty seven years old. Can I give you a hug?", she said.

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 as to what might have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

"I always dreamed on a college education and now I'm getting one", she replied.

After class we walked to the Student Union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends.

Everyday 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 words of wisdom and years of experience.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a college icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and 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 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 to the floor.

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 everyday. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.

We have so many people who are walking around who are dead but don't even know it.

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.

If you are 19 years old and lie in bed one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn 20 years old. If I'm 87 years old and stay in bed for a year not doing anything, I'll turn 88.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take and talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.

The elderly usually have no 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 the 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.

One week after graduation, Rose passed away peacefully in her sleep.

Over 2000 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.

***The narrator is unknown. These words have been passed along as a loving memory of Rose.

Well I have never heard of the song 'The Rose' so went to look up for the lyrics ;)

The Rose - Bette Midler

Some say love, it is a river
that drowns the tender reed.
Some say love, it is a razor
that leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love, it is a hunger,
an endless aching need.
I say love, it is a flower,
and you its only seed.

It's the heart afraid of breaking
that never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking
that never takes the chance.
It's the one who won't be taken,
who cannot seem to give,
and the soul afraid of dyin'
that never learns to live.

When the night has been too lonely
and the road has been to long,
and you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong,
just remember in the winter
far beneath the bitter snows
lies the seed that with the sun's love
in the spring becomes the rose.

Not a bad idea to know the lyrics and live up to it after all :)