I saw this and I thought I would pass it along in this season of sharing
and giving.

kelly




From: [log in to unmask]

This was sent to me from a new member of the coalition. Thanks Coni!

Some times we do need to take a look at the basics and remember what life is
all about. For some of us who have children with special needs, life seems to
look a lot different than those people who are struggling to keep up with the
Jones's, and the most important thing in their life is to excel and succeed
in the corporate world. There are different types of success and if I am
remembered after I am gone for being a good father, that is the most
important tribute that anyone could give me. That is what is important to me
along with just being a decent human being.

Enjoy this little article and embrace your family close this holiday season,

Lance
*****************************************************************
Six Great Lessons   The Important Things Life Teaches You...

1st 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.


2nd 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 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! 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 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

3rd 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?" "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.


4th 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 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 laying 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.

5th 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
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 Liz." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister.
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 his sister all of his blood.


6th You have 2 choices now:
1. Save or delete this mail from your mailbox.
2. Forward it to people you care about.

Remember: Work like you don't need the money.   Love like you've never been
hurt. Dance like nobody's watching.


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