5 Great lessons
1 - Most Important Lesson
During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop
quiz.
I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions,
until I
read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans
the
school?
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman
several
times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know
Her
name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before
class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward
our
quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you
will
meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention
and care,
even if all you do is smile and say 'hello'."
"I've never forgotten that lesson. I learned her name was Dorothy.
2 - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing
on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm.
Her
car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet,
she
decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help
her,
generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her
to
safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed
to
be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him.
Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his
surprise a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special
note
was attached.
It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the
other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits.
Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying
husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping
me
and unselfishly serving others."
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole
3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old
boy
entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass
of
water in front of him.
"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied
the
waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied
the
coins in it.
"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was
growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied."
The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream,"
he
said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table
and
walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.
When
the waitress came back, she began to
cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the
empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies - You see, he couldn't
have
the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
4 - Fourth Important Lesson - The Obstacle in Our Path
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he
hid
himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.
Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply
walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads
clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon
approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried
to move
the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining,
he
finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables,
he
noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse
contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that
the gold
was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.
he peasant learned what many of us never understand. Every obstacle
presents an opportunity to improve our condition.
5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to
know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious
disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion
from
her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease
and
had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor
explained the situation to her little brother and asked the little
boy if he
would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate
for
only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do
it if it
will save her."
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and
smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then
his
face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and
asked
with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought
he was
going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save
her.
You see, after all, understanding and attitude are everything.
Now you have 2 choices....
1. Delete this e-mail, or
2. Forward it to people you care about.
I hope that you will choose No. 2, and remember.....
"Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been
hurt, and
dance like you do when nobody's watching."
"Friends are God's way of taking care of us".
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