Students Mock Lady of 64 Enrolled at University, Learn She Was Fulfilling Dream after Raising 12 Kids – Story of the Day

It was Linda's lifelong dream to complete her education, but life just kept getting in the way. When she finally did take the chance, she did not expect the challenges that almost pushed her to quit. Will the mocking from her classmates ever stop?

Linda was 64, and she had a dream: she wanted to become a teacher for underprivileged children, just like her mother used to be.

Ever since she was a child, Linda had seen her mother dress up prim and proper to go to school. She had seen the woman teach with enthusiasm, spend sleepless nights correcting tests, reading research, and planning lessons creatively for her students.

"Linda! To be a good teacher, you have to be a good student," she would tell her daughter.

But shortly after her parents died, Linda's life was governed by one big change after another. She had to quit her studies to fend for herself.

At first, she thought she would study after getting married to Clark, but then she assured herself she'd return to it after her first child was a bit grown up. But then came another child, and another, and another.

Years flew by, and just when the nest was empty, and Linda could consider going back to college again, her first grandchild was born. And then another, and another…

By the time Linda was 64, widowed, she had helped raise 5 children and 7 grandchildren. She gave it her all, standing by them through thick and thin, and wouldn't trade a second of those precious years of togetherness for anything.

"We have something in mind, Linda. Please, hear us out!"

But on her 64th birthday, Linda had a profound realization: There was no hurdle in her path anymore.

The kids were all grown up, and even though she often still watched Tina and Johnny, the youngest of her grandchildren, she had more time to spare than she ever did in her life.

That's when her children gave her a perfectly timed gift.

"You've done so much for us, ma! It's your turn to fulfill your lifelong dream now!" Saying this, Linda's kids and grandkids handed her the admission letter to a reputed university not far from where she lived.

They had signed her up for a full-time course to finally complete her graduation!

She was as excited as a little child to go to college, carrying a backpack and a lunchbox. She sat upright at the first bench, ready to take in all the knowledge that would come her way.

But her excitement was short-lived as she came face-to-face with her biggest adversary — the computer.

"Oh, what am I going to do with these sausage fingers!" she sighed, struggling to type and use the mouse.

While Linda, the oldest student in the class, was struggling, the younger boys and girls were having the time of their lives laughing at her misery.

"Grandma over here wants to code when she should be baking cookies!" one of the backbenchers chuckled, high-fiving his buddies over the remark.

"She needs a new hobby, y'all! Somebody gift her some yarn and knitting needles. Maybe a cat, too!" Another voice said, and this time, the entire class roared with laughter.

Linda had been putting herself through this mockery for months now. And it was starting to break her spirit.

When she heard some girls in the bathroom referring to her as "Too-Late-Linda!" and talking about how she asked the dumbest questions in class, that was the last straw.

The girls were shocked to hear weeping sounds coming from inside one of the stalls, and they were red with embarrassment when they saw Linda come out.

"I'm trying, kids, I'm really trying…I thought after all these years I could finally…but who am I kidding! I can't expect to keep up with you youngsters. You've got your whole life ahead of you, and I…well, I can just wait it out until it's time for me to go!"

The girls were teary-eyed and speechless as they watched Linda leave.

That was the moment things began to turn around for her.

The next day, Linda wondered why the class fell silent when she entered the class instead of the usual hooting and mocking. To her surprise, all the kids gathered around and apologized to her one by one, wanting to hear her story.

When the kids learned how Linda was making time to study despite having several chores at home and watching over her grandkids, they devised a plan for her.

"We have something in mind, Linda. Please, hear us out!"

It turned out that the kids had come up with a perfect timetable for Linda, which would allow her to study better and learn faster.

Two of the students were in charge of teaching her the computer, one would take up the job of cleaning her house and doing the laundry, another was in charge of watering the garden…

And most surprisingly, the kids had agreed to take turns to watch Tina and Johnny every time they came over. All while Linda would finally have the time and freedom of mind to focus on her studies.

It was an incredibly kind offer that brought Linda to tears, but it was one that the kids followed through religiously for the entire year, right until the final exams.

When the final year results were out, all the students lined up outside Linda's house, holding up cheerful signs and throwing confetti over her, telling her she had fulfilled her dream!

While she was incredibly happy as her classmates and her family cheered her on, she did shed a little tear of regret.

"I always wanted to be a teacher, but I don't think I can take up a job anymore. I'm so old, and my body is exhausted…" Linda sighed.

"You may not realize this," one of the students said, " but you did become a teacher. You taught us a lot of things in the last few months. Things that can't be found in textbooks!"

"That's right! You taught us how to pursue our dreams no matter what," one of the girls added.

"Yeah, and how to be a sincere student!" yet another student cheered.

"And tend to a garden!" The voices kept on going.

"And you taught Johnny and me how to draw and sing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!'" Tina, the youngest of Linda's grandchildren, hugged her and said, making her smile.

"Mama, I hope I've made you proud," Linda spoke to the heavens, bursting into tears of joy.

What can we learn from this story?

• Don't give up on your dreams. Linda was the oldest student in her class, and she did face challenges that pushed her to the edge, but she didn't give up on her lifelong dream.
• Learning has nothing to do with age. Linda was 64, and yet, she pursued her education, studied hard, and completed her graduation.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about another elderly woman with a dream of performing on stage, who finds someone waiting to talk to her after her performance.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.