THE IMPORTANT THINGS LIFE TEACHES YOU
author unknown
~ 1 ~ Most Important Question
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.
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
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! 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 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 beside 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 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
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 boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he
was going to have to give his sister all of his blood.
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