The Important Things Life Teaches You...

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>The Important Things Life Teaches You...

>

>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 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 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.

>

>Attitude, after all, is everything. You have 2 choices now:

>

>1. Save or delete this mail from your mailbox, or

>

>2. Forward it to people you care about. Hope you will choose No.

>

>

>Work like you don't need the money.

>

>Love like you've never been hurt.

>

>Dance like nobody's watching. >>