R. I. P. David...May you soar with the angels!

A tragedy happened in my family yesterday morning. My 16 year old cousin David Fox took his own life.Everyone always says, "My child would never do that", really, do you want to gamble on that fact? If this kid could do it then anyone's could. David was an exceptionally bright and even gifted child. He was respectful of his parents and teachers, he never had anything bad to say about anyone, he never touched a drug, or drank a drop of alcohol, he came from a stable loving home, he was infact the center of his parents entire world. This boy tutored his classmates and younger children because he always wanted to be helping people. I've heard so many people say about their children, that my child just isn't the type that would take their own life, just so everyone knows, death doesn't descriminate. Talk to your children, let them know that they can come to you with any problem and at the end of the day you are still going to love them. Give your kids room to grow and make their own mistakes, if you notice that you child is not him or herself seek out help for your child. Never say my child would never take their own life. My aunt and uncle are in a state of grief that most of us will never comprehend this morning because they never thought their child could take his own life. Please keep my family in your prayers, especially my aunt Fleeta and uncle Thurman Fox. Rest in peace David, may you soar with the angels!

Hi Handsome, My name is Rose...

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 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 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 four 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. 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 months 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.

'Good friends are like stars..... .....You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.'

My stake...

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with anything at all. Have you ever felt like every time you seem to find your place in this world, someone comes along behind you and knocks you off your newly claimed ground and claims your stake to the world as their own? Recently that seems to be happening to me a lot. Sometimes I feel like screaming and yelling and taking back my stake. Other times I feel like saying "Take it, just take whatever you want and leave me alone!" I hate mean people they truly do suck! They suck the life right out of everything. They steal your moment in the sun and leave you chilled in the darkness! They seem to always be on top of everything. They are the top performers in everything from work to recreation and it seems like they always are taking, never bothering to save something for the rest of us. You know what mean people? I'm way over it! You can suck the life out of everything but deep down we both know you're not really happy, you're not ever going to be free, and you sure as damn it won't break me! So you go right ahead and keep taking all you want or need from those that will still let you, as for me, as of today I'm going to take my life and start controlling it again and I'm going to quit allowing you to claim my worldly stake as your own...It was my stake first and it's mine until I grow tired of it, Do you understand?