Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody's watching!
FIVE GREAT LESSONS:
1 - Most Important Lesson: 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. 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 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 days in the 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 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 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.
THE WATER
It was one of the hottest days of the dry season.
We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops
were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The creeks
and streams were long gone back into the earth. It was
a dry season that would bankrupt several farmers before
it was through. Every day, my husband and his brothers
would go about the arduous process of trying to get water
to the fields. Lately this process had involved taking a truck to the local water rendering plant and filling it up with water. But severe rationing had cut everyone off. If we didn't see some rain soon...we would lose everything.
It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of sharing
and witnessed the only miracle I have seen with my own
eyes. I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband
and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son, Billy,
walking toward the woods. He wasn't walking with the
usual carefree abandon of a youth but with a serious purpose.
I could only see his back. He was obviously walking with a
great effort...trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after
he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again,
toward the house. I went back to making sandwiches;
thinking that whatever task he had been doing was completed.
Moments later, however, he was once again walking in that
slow purposeful stride toward the woods. This activity went
on for an hour: walk carefully to the woods, run back to the
house. Finally I couldn't take it any longer and I crept out of
the house and followed him on his journey (being very careful
not to be seen...as he was obviously doing important work
and didn't need his Mommy checking up on him).
He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked;
being very careful not to spill the water he held in them...
maybe two or three tablespoons were held in his tiny hands.
I sneaked close as he went into the woods. Branches and
thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them.
He had a much higher purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him,
I saw the most amazing site.
Several large deer loomed in front of him. Billy walked right
up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. A huge
buck with elaborate antlers was dangerously close. But the
buck did not threaten him...he didn't even move as Billy knelt
down. And I saw a tiny fawn laying on the ground, obviously
suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion, lift its head
with great effort to lap up the water cupped in my beautiful
boy's hand.
When the water was gone, Billy jumped up to run back to
the house and I hid behind a tree. I followed him back to the
house; to a spigot that we had shut off the water to. Billy
opened it all the way up and a small trickle began to creep
but. He knelt there, letting the drip slowly fill up his makeshift
"cup," as the sun beat down on his little back. And it came
clear to me. The trouble he had gotten into for playing with
the hose the week before. The lecture he had received about
the importance of not wasting water. The reason he didn't
ask me to help him. It took almost twenty minutes for the
drops to fill his hands.
When he stood up and began the trek back, I was there
in front of him. His little eyes just filled with tears. "I'm not
wasting," was all he said. As he began his walk, I joined
him...with a small pot of water from the kitchen. I let him
tend to the fawn. I stayed away. It was his job.
I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most
beautiful heart I have ever known working so hard to
save another life. As the tears that rolled down my
face began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined
by other drops...and more drops...and more. I looked up
at the sky. It was as if God, himself, was weeping with pride.
Some will probably say that this was all just a huge
coincidence. That miracles don't really exist. That it
was bound to rain sometime. And I can't argue with
at...I'm not going to try. All I can say is that the rain
that came that day saved our farm...just like that actions
of one little boy saved another.
Author Unknown
|
