Daddys Little Angel

Five 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 - Pick up in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car hadbroken 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  f 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.. This ones my favourite - a narrative from my Late Grandfather.

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 o ly 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. 

I have in my hands two boxes,
Which God gave me to hold.
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black box,
And all your joys in the gold."

I heeded His words, and in the two boxes,
Both my joys and sorrows I stored,
But though the gold became heavier each day,
The black was as light as before.

With curiosity, I opened the black,
I wanted to find out why,
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole,
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.

I showed the hole to God, and mused,
"I wonder where my sorrows could be!"
He smiled a gentle smile and said,
"My child, they're all here with me.."

I asked God, why He gave me the boxes,
Why the gold and the black with the hole?
"My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings,
The black is for you to let go."

We should consider all of our friends a blessing.
Send this to a friend today just to let them know you
are thinking of them and that they are a joy in your life.

A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end.
It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends.
But the treasure inside for you to see,
Is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.

Today I pass the friendship ball to you.
Pass it on to someone who is a friend to you...

I have smiles to give away
hugs and kisses too
I save them up every day
so I can send them to you

I know I can always count on you
even when I am down
you laugh with me and make me smile
with you, I never frown

You are so very dear to me
whether near or miles apart
I hope you can clearly see
you're so close to my heart

I want to thank you for all your caring
you are a dear friend of mine
we have so many good times sharing
with you I will always shine!

This friendship we have made together
will last through thick and thin
no matter how stormy the weather
I know I always have a friend in...

YOU!

I miss you so much
It's so hard to bear,

So I'm sending you this teddy
To show that I care.

I wish you were here,
Or I wish I was there -
Because we should be together,
As I'm sure you're aware.

So, I'm sending this reminder
(And a cute little bear!)
Just so you know
That I'll always be there!

There is no season
For you Dear friend
Because with you
I never want to part

Summer or spring
Winter or fall
I want you in my life
During them all

In the spring
When the flowers bloom
My heart for you
Will have so much room

In the summer
When it's scorching hot
To forget about you
I will not

In the fall
When the leaves tumble down
You can count on me
To always be around

In the winter
When it's icy cold
I'll be there for you always
Until I grow old

There is no season
For you and I
Because to you
I'll never say good-bye

I Love You !!

THE MISSING RIB.

A girl in love asked her boyfriend..

Girl: Tell me... who do you love most in this world?

Boy: You, of course!

Girl: In your heart, what am I to you?

Boy: The boy thought for a moment and looked intently in her eyes and said,
"You are my rib. In the Bible, it was said that God saw that Adam was
lonely, during his sleep; God took one of Adam's rib and created Eve. Every man has been searching for his missing rib, only when you find the woman of your life; you'll no longer feel the lingering ache in your heart."

After their wedding, the couple had a sweet and happy life for a while. However, the youthful couple began to drift apart due to the busy schedule of life and the never-ending worries of daily problems... their life became mundane. All the challenges posed by the harsh realities of life began to gnaw away their dreams and love for each other... The couple began to have more quarrels and each quarrel became more heated.

One day, after the quarrel, the girl ran out of the house.... At the opposite side of the road, she shouted, "You don't love me!" The boy hated her hildishness and out of impulse, retorted, "Maybe, it was a mistake for us to be together! You were never my missing rib!"

Suddenly, she turned quiet and stood there for a long while.... He regretted what he said but words spoken are like thrown away water, you can never take it back. With tears, she went home to pack her things and was determined in breaking-up.

Before she left the house, "If I'm really not your missing rib, please let me go..... She continued, "It is less painful this way...let us go on our separate ways and search for our own partners..."

Five years went by.... He never remarried but he had tried to find out about her life indirectly...... She had left the country and back.... She had married a foreigner and divorced..... He felt anguished that she never waited for him. In the dark and lonely night, he lit his cigarette and felt the lingering ache in his heart. He couldn't bring himself to admit that he was missing her.

One day, they finally met.... At the airport, a place where there were many reunions and good-byes.... He was going away on a business trip. She was standing there alone, with just the security door separating them. She smiled at him gently.

boy): How are you?

girl): I'm fine. How about you... Have you found your missing rib?

boy): No.

girl): I'll be flying to New York in the next flight.

boy): I'll be back in 2 weeks time. Give me a call when you are back...You know my number... Nothing has changed.

With a smile, she turned around and waved good-bye.. "Good-bye." One week later, he heard of her death. She had perished in New York. In the event that shocked the world.. Midnight..... Once again, he lit his cigarette..... And like before,he felt the lingering ache in his heart.... He finally knew, she was the missing rib that he had carelessly broken.

Sometimes, people say things out of moments of fury..... Most often than not, the outcome could be disastrous and detrimental.... We vent our frustrations 99% at our loved ones.... And even though we know that we ought to "think twice and act wisely", it's often easier said than done. Things happen each day, many of which are beyond our control.

Let us treasure every moment and everyone in our lives. Tomorrow may never come; give and accept what you have today