1.
Most Important Lesson
2. Pickup in the Rain
3. Always Remember those who Serve
4. The Obstacle in our Path
5. Giving when it Counts
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 50's, 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 towards 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 taxi cab. 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 colour 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?" 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.
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 kirig'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.
The
peasant learned what many of us never understand. Every obstacle
presents an opportunity to improve our condition.
5.
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 colour 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.
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