Inspiring Thoughts

author unknown

~ 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 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 1960s. The man took her to safety,
helped  her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. 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 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 ~ 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.

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.