our readers write

Chronicle reader John Parrish shared these.

Late one night, an older African-American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway in a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. A young white man stopped to help her. The man took her to get assistance. She wrote down his address and thanked him. A week later, to his surprise a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A note attached read: “Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes but my spirits. Then you came along and I was able to make it to my dying husband’s bedside before he passed away. God bless you for helping me.” Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

• The Cleaning lady

On a pop quiz, I breezed through until the last question: “What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?” Surely this was a joke. One student asked if the last question would count toward our grade. “Absolutely, ” said the professor. “In your careers you will meet many people. All 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.

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