First Most Important Lesson
Everyone is important. 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.
Second Important Lesson
Help anyone that needs help, just because it is the right thing to do.
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, 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.
Third Important Lesson
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 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.
Fourth Important Lesson
The Obstacles 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.
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 understanding and attitude, after all, is
everything.
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