1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady
During my second month of college,
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 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. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night at 11:30 p.m., 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 1960's. The
man took her to safety, helped her get assistance
and put her into a taxicab. 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 - 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.
4 - 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 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 - 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 & 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 cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.
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