1. First Lesson – “Know the Cleaning Lady”
During my 2nd month of college, our lecturer gave us a pop quiz. I was a careful student and had breezed via the questions, till I read the last one: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?”Absolutely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman numerous times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, making the last question blank. Just before class ended, one college student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.“Definitely,” said the professor. “In your professions, you will meet many people. All are important. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say “hello.”
I’ve never lost that lesson. I also discovered her name was Dorothy.2. Second Lesson – “Pickup In the Rain”
One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American lady was standing up on the side of an Alabama highway attempting to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she seriously needed a ride. Immersing wet, she made the decision to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, usually unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get support and put her into a taxicab.
She appeared 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 shock, a giant console color TV was presented to his home.

A unique note was connected. It read: “Thank you so much for supporting me on the road the other night. The rain soaked not only my clothes, but also my state of mind. Then you came along. Simply because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband’s bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for assisting me and unselfishly serving others.”

3. Third Lesson – “Remember Those Who Serve”
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year-old boy came into a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waiter put a glass of normal water in front of him. “How much is an ice cream sundae?” he asked. “50¢,” responded the waitress.

The little boy drawn his hand out of his pocket and analyzed the coins in it.
“Well, how much is a simply dish of ice cream?” he asked. By now more people were waiting around for a table and the waiter was growing eager. “35¢!” she brusquely responded.

The little boy again mentioned his coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said. The waiter brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and stepped away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.
When the waiter came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, positioned 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 Lesson – “The Obstacles in Our Path”
In historical times, a King had a boulder placed on a road. Then he hid him self and viewed to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest vendors and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many fully blamed the King for not maintaining the roads clear, but none did anything about obtaining the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along holding a load of fresh vegetables. Upon nearing the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much forcing and straining, he lastly was successful. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he observed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse included many gold coins and a note from the King showing that the gold was for the individual who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never realize - “Every hurdle presents a chance to improve our condition.”

5. Fifth Lesson – “Giving When It Counts”
Many years ago, when I labored as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was struggling from a rare and critical disease. Her only opportunity of restoration appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year-old brother, who had incredibly survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies required to combat the illness. The doctor described the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be prepared to give his blood to his sister. I saw him think twice for only a time 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, viewing 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 shaking voice, “Will I start to die right away?”
Being young, the small boy had misunderstood the doctor; he believed he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.