I'd like to introduce you to my grandparents, Ralph and Grace Price. Granddad's story was one of the inspirations for my website and ezine. Granddad was born in the waning years of the 19th century. Like many of his generation (though for perhaps different reasons) he was unable to go to college as a young man. Instead, he married my grandmother, settled into a career and raised a family. But he never forgot his dream of being a college graduate. When he retired after 40 years of service to one company, he promptly enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin at the age of 65. The oldest freshman in his class, he was also the oldest graduate four years later. But that isn't the end of the story! Another life-long dream had been to teach young people, and indeed he was a marvelous teacher all his life. In the local area of Austin, Texas, there was one teaching job open to a 69-year-old with no teaching certificate--a substitute teaching position with the public schools. Granddad taught in that capacity until he was 75 and reached the mandatory retirement age. That's still not the end of the story! Shortly afterward, he was approached by the Texas State School for the Blind and asked to finish the school year for a math teacher who had fallen ill. The only catch was, he'd have to learn Braille. Never afraid of a challenge, Granddad accepted the offer and taught not only for the rest of that year, but also a couple more before a certified teacher was found for the position. In 1974, he and my grandmother were persuaded to move to a small town in Utah by my mother, who had purchased a tax franchise and needed Granddad's help. He was an asset to her business until past his 85th year, when he at last decided to just stay home and enjoy his remaining years with Grandmother. Unfortunately, those were to be few, because we lost Grandmother at the age of 88 (they were the same age, my grandmother the elder by about 3 weeks). You would think that's the end of the story...but it isn't! Granddad found love again...after the age of 90...and married for the second time when he was about 92 years old! I remember my grandmother saying to me many times and in many ways that the only way to become old is to submit to being old. She never believed it was too late for anything--she was planting peonies and looking forward to eating peaches from her new peach tree the day she died. Clearly my grandfather never believed so either. I'm grateful to both of them for instilling that deep into my soul. For my website and free ezine, I'm collecting stories like this to celebrate. I'd appreciate your contributing your own or your favorite, and please also consider subscribing. I'm convinced that the principles of success can be learned, and also that success is contagious! Best wishes for your success, and thanks for visiting! Cheri -------------------------------------------- Cheri Merz is a real estate broker and home-based business entrepreneur. She also publishes a web-based ezine that explores the pathways to success at any age. Visit Never2Late4Success for more articles, stories and celebrations of subscribers' success. These are some of my favorite success books. Please also visit My Offers.

Hello Cheri, I read in your later post to click on this link to read this previous forum. What wonderful inspiring grandparents you had, I am green with envy. I never knew my grandparents from either side as they had passed away years before I was born. I always felt I missed out on that generational kinship that all my friends had. My late father was a Victorian baby born 6 Feb 1896 and my mother was his 2nd wife (his first died years before) Dad had grandchildren older than me, yet he was my Dad so it was still not quite the same as having a grandfather. Thank you for sharing Kind regards Amanda Martin-Shaver

Amanda, Thank you for sharing. That's so interesting. My grandparents were also born in 1896, yet I'm nearly 20 years older than you. I just found out this past Christmas, while discussing my grandparents with my mother, that she didn't have happy memories of her own grandmother. Where mine (her mother) was a loving, jolly, compassionate, playful grandmother, hers (her paternal grandmother) was stern, cold and uncaring. So don't envy...you never know what they would have been like. For great cross-generational friendships, look to your church, volunteer at the local senior citizens center where computer literacy classes always need teachers, or enroll your kids in an adopt-a-grandparent program. They aren't going to know their own grandparents, either, are they? Give them the gift of a relationship such as the one you missed out on, and I'd bet you'll feel the benefits, too. Cheri

Dear Cheri, What a wonderful testament to life and living it to its fullest! My paternal grandparents were the same way. I remember my grandmother hurt her wrist moving furniture once when company was coming. When my granpa's sister arrived, she told grandma that she was too old to be moving furniture--fighting words to my grandmother! I believe my grandpa had to step in and hold her back, and they were all in their late 60's at the time, I believe. Grandma always said you are as young or old as you feel, and she felt young. I wish I did. I will have to check out your ezine. Thank You,

Shannon, Isn't that funny, my grandmother always said the same thing. Usually when I was lolling around after a wonderful home-cooked meal at their house when I was in college and she wanted to go for a walk. My great-grandmother on the other side used to climb her peach tree to pick the fruit--in her eighties. I doubt if I could climb a tree now, lol. Picture Granny from the Beverly Hillbillies original TV series if you can remember that far back. My 'Little Grandma', as we called her, looked exactly like her, right down to the boots, long skirts and aprons. Her doctors kept telling her to stop doing things like climbing trees--I think she outlived three of them. Cheri PS, Since this thread was posted, my ezine has become a full-fledged website that isn't quite ready for launch. You're welcome to take a look, at www.never2late4success.com, but please understand that we're still populating it with content, so come back in a few weeks, too.