lessons in life.....

[Purvang]

Five (5) lessons to make you think about the way we treat people.



   1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

   During my second month of college, 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, at11:30 p.m., 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.

   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 is 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 & 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 cheek. 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.



   Most importantly.................. "Work like you
   don't need the money, love like you've never been
   hurt, and dance like you do when nobody's watching."