Sunflower

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.

"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.

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.

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.

Always remember those who serve you. 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
rowing 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.

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.

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,

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 understanding and attitude, after
all, is everything.