~ 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
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 taxicab. 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 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?"
"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 big 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 thegold 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.
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
