FIVE GREAT LESSONS IN LIFE

First and most important lesson:

During my second year of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a concientious student and breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the 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 handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank.

Just before class ended, one student asked the professor if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely" said the professor. In your carreers, 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, and I also learned her name was Dorothy.

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Second Important Lesson - Pick Up 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 60's. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed 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 TV was delivered to his home. a special not was attached, it read: "Thank you very 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 get 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.

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Third important lesson - Always remember those who serve you:

In the days when an ice-cream sundae cost much less, a 10year 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 dish of plain ice cream? he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table. "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. Beside the empty dish, were two nickles and five pennies - You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he wouldn't have enough left then to leave her a tip.

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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 did nothing about getting it 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 remove the boulder to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasand 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 not from the King indicating that the purse 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.

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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 5year old brother, who had miraculously survived the disease and had developed antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situatioon to her little brother, and asked if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for just 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 at seeing the colour return 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 straight away?" Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor, he thought he was going to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her. You see, understanding and attitude, after all is everything. (Anon)

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