THE IMPORTANT THINGS LIFE TEACHES US

1. Most Important Question.
During a students second month in a nursing school, the professor gave them a pop quiz. The students were a conscientious group and had breezed through the questions, until they read the last one:
What is the name of the women who cleans the school?
Surely this was some kind of joke they thought. They had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark hared and in her 50s, but how would they know her name?
They handed in their papers leaving the last question blank. Before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count towards the 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." They never forgot that lesson. They also learnt that the cleaning woman's name was Dorothy.
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2. PICK UP IN THE RAIN.
One Night At Around 11.30 P.M. 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 White Man Stopped To Help Her, Generally Unheard Of In Those Conflict Filled Days Of The 1960's. The Man Took Her To Safety, Helped Her Get Assistance And Put Her In 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 Come On The Man's Door. To His Surprise A Giant Combination Console Colour 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. They 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.
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3. ALWAYS REMEMBER THE VIRTUE OF PATIENCE & THOUGHT FOR OTHERS
In the days when an ice cream sundae costed 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 a number of coins in it. "How much is a dish of plain ice cream?" he enquired. Some other people were now waiting at a table and the waitress was a bit impatient. "Thirty five cents" she replies rudely. 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, was her tip of 15 cents.
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4. 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 kings wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear but no one 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 on 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.
Every obstacle present s an opportunity to improve one's condition.
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5. GIVING BLOOD
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 developed antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother and asked the boy is 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'd 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 colour 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. In his young years he was willing to pay the supreme sacrifice for another human being.