Someone sent me these thoughts
Six Great Lessons
The Important Things Life Teaches You...
~ 1 ~ Most Important Question
During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop
quiz.
I as 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. 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 also learned her name was Dorothy.
~ 2 ~ 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!
She wrote down his address, thanked him and drove away.
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 ~ 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?" "Fifty cents," replied the
waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of
coins in it. "How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he inquired. Some
people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient.
"Thirty-five cents," she said brusquely. The little boy again counted the 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 departed. When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the
table and then swallowed hard at what she saw. There, placed neatly the empty dish,
were two nickels and five pennies - her tip.
~ 4 ~ 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 big stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On 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.
As 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. The peasant learned what many others never
understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.
~ 5 ~ Giving Blood
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford 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 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 Liz."
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister a. He
looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die
right away?" Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was
going to have to give his sister all of his blood.
You have 2 choices now: 1. Save or delete this mail from your mailbox,
or 2. Forward it to people you care about. Hope you will choose No. 2.
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
