forwarded by Meleah at work. It's very sweet. It made me cry. I
probably needed to read the thing about the obstacles.
I cry much too easily. There is something wrong with me.
============================================================
Five 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 also learned that 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 getting 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- 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 a little
girl 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.
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