| 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've also never
forgotten 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 rain storm. 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 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. The 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 his blood in order to save her. |
