Call me a "softie," but I couldn't help passing this one on.  Have a great 
weekend! SRS :-)


First Important Lesson - Everyone's job is important

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 50's, but how would I know her 
name? I left the 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.


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  onsole 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.

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.

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 ad 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.

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 of his blood in order to save her.

You see, after all, understanding and attitude, are everything.