Things I've learned....
* That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly
person.
* That when you're in love, it shows.
* That just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day.
* That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most
peaceful feelings in the world.
* That being kind is more important than being right. 
* That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
* That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to
help him in some other way.
* That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs
a friend to act goofy with.
* That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to
understand.
* That simple walks with my father on our farm when I was a child did
wonders for me as an adult.
* That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the
end, the faster it goes.
* That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
* That money doesn't buy class.
* That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
* That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated
and loved.
* That the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?
* That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
* That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that
person continue to hurt you.
* That love, not time, heals all wounds.
* That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself
with people smarter than I am.
* That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
* That there's nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling
their breath on your cheeks.
* That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
* That life is tough, but I'm tougher.
* That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
* That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
* That I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time
before she passed away.
* That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow
he may have to eat them.
* That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
* That I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.
* That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his
little fist, that you're hooked for life.
* That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the
happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
* That it is best to give advice in only two circumstances; when it is
requested and when it is a life threatening situation.
* That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.
Friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage
you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they
always want to open their hearts to us. 


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5 Great Lessons
1 - Most Important Lesson
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 all, 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, 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, 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 his 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 0enough 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 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 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
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 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 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. You see, after all, understanding and attitude, are everything.
Now you have 2 choices....

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This is short and cute!
A couple had been married for 25 years and also celebrated their 60th
birthdays. During the celebration a fairy appeared and said that because
they had been such a loving couple all those years, she would give them
one wish each.
The wife wanted to travel around the world. The fairy waved her wand and
Boom! She had the tickets in her hand. Next, it was the husband's turn.
He paused for a moment, then said shyly, "Well, I'd like to have a woman
30 years younger than me." The fairy picked up her wand and Boom!
He was 90.