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 her
name was Dorothy.
#2. Help Those In Need
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. 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 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. Turn Obstacles Into Opportunities
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. Give Selflessly
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 change 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 this sister and smiled, as we
all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face
grew pale and his smile faded. He look 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.
-- Author Unknown
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