Y uno aprende...

Después de un tiempo, uno aprende la sutíl diferencia entre sostener una mano y encadenar un alma, y uno aprende que el amor no significa acostarse y una compañía no significa seguridad, y uno empieza a aprender...

Que los besos no son contratos y los regalos no son promesas, y uno empieza a aceptar sus derrotas con la cabeza alta y los ojos abiertos, y uno aprende a construir todos sus caminos en el hoy, porque el terreno de mañana es demasiado inseguro para planes...y los futuros tienen una forma de caerse en la mitad.

Y después de un tiempo uno aprende que si es demasiado, hasta el calor del sol quema. Así que uno planta su propio jardín y decora su propia alma, en lugar de esperar a que alguien le traiga flores.

Y uno aprende que realmente puede aguantar, que uno realmente es fuerte, que uno realmente vale, y uno aprende y aprende... y con cada día uno aprende.

Con el tiempo aprendes que estar con alguien porque te ofrece un buen futuro significa que tarde o temprano querrás volver a tu pasado.

Con el tiempo comprendes que sólo quien es capaz de amarte con tus defectos, sin pretender cambiarte, puede brindarte toda la felicidad que deseas.

Con el tiempo te das cuenta de que si estás al lado de esa persona sólo por acompañar tu soledad, irremediablemente acabarás no deseando volver a verla.

Con el tiempo entiendes que los verdaderos amigos son contados, y que el que no lucha por ellos tarde o temprano se verá rodeado sólo de amistades falsas.

Con el tiempo aprendes que las palabras dichas en un momento de ira pueden seguir lastimando a quien heriste, durante toda la vida.

Con el tiempo aprendes que disculpar cualquiera lo hace, pero perdonar es sólo de almas grandes.

Con el tiempo comprendes que si has herido a un amigo duramente, muy probablemente la amistad jamás volverá a ser igual.

Con el tiempo te das cuenta que aunque seas felíz con tus amigos, algún día llorarás por aquellos que dejaste ir.

Con el tiempo te das cuenta de que cada experiencia vivida con cada persona es irrepetible.

Con el tiempo te das cuenta de que el que humilla o desprecia a un ser humano, tarde o temprano sufrirá las mismas humillaciones o desprecios multiplicados al cuadrado.

Con el tiempo comprendes que apresurar las cosas o forzarlas a que pasen ocasionará que al final no sean como esperabas.

Con el tiempo te das cuenta de que en realidad lo mejor no era el futuro, sino el momento que estabas viviendo justo en ese instante (...)

Pero desafortunadamente, sólo con el tiempo...

(Del Cajon del sastre)

One marketing expert says Oprah Winfrey’s support of Twitter might bring too many members to the service.

-Gabriel Garcia Marquez

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 m e 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 reveled 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 intro duced 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 everyday. 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. 

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

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