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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.
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 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!
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 combination console
color TV and stereo record player were delivered to his
home. A special note was attached. The note read:
Dear Mr. James:
Thank you so much for assisting me on the
highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my
clothes but 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.
Two Nickels and
Five Pennies
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.
The Obstacle in
Our Path
In ancient times, a king hid 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 big stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of
vegetables. On 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. As 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 others never
understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to
improve one's condition.
Giving Blood
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer
at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named
Liza who was suffering from a rare and serious disease.
Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood
transfusion from her five-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 Liza."
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 her all
his blood.
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