Message from Brother Roger

With you all n prayer
Antony
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Five important lessons

* 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 - Pickup 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 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, 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 enough 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 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 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 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.



Now you have 2 choices.



1 Delete this email, or



2. Forward it to people you care about and might get a little lift from
reading it....as I did.



I hope that you will choose No. 2 and remember. " Work like  you don't need
the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like you do when
nobody's watching. "


Université McGill, Campus Macdonald
École de diététique et de la nutrition humaine
Montréal, Canada

_________________________________
Frère Antoine
Communauté de Taizé
71250 Communauté de Taizé - France
tél. 0033 (0) 385 50 3030
fax 0033 (0) 385 50 30 15
Web Site: www.taize.fr
_________________________________
_________________________________
Frère Antoine
Communauté de Taizé
71250 Communauté de Taizé - France
tél. 0033 (0) 385 50 3030
fax 0033 (0) 385 50 30 15
Web Site: www.taize.fr
_________________________________