Skip to main content

Compliment

 At a 2000 Memorial Program at the Brooklyn VA Hospital, we dedicated a new clinical building. As part of the program, the then reigning Miss America, also an accomplished singer, entertained us. Afterwards, at a   reception, she circulated among the crowd of patients, employees and volunteers, greeting people and posing with anyone who wanted instant snapshots.
     Later, Polina, one of our oldest regular volunteers, rushed to my office and excitedly proclaimed, "Rabbi! Rabbi! 
Look! I had my picture taken with Miss America!"
     I scrutinized the photo for a few seconds, and then quipped, "Very nice, Polina. Very nice. But, tell me, which one here is Miss America?"
     "Oh, Rabbi," gushed the elderly Polina. "You just made my day."
     I always tried to "make the day" for my patients--and volunteers.
       - Rabbi Murray Stadtmauer

Imagine now what good you can do today.  All it takes is a kind word.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Contact

“Between 1305 and the early 1800’s. the House of Taxis ran a form of pony express service all over Europe….   Its couriers clad in blue and silver uniforms, crisscrossed the continent carrying messages between princes and generals, merchants and money lenders.” –Alvin Toffler, The Third Wave We may think we are the first generation consumed by rapid communication but we are not.   Throughout our history it has been a priority. Of course, now in the 21 st century we must ask: are we better or worse for it?
1 comment
Read more

Speech

  “To say the right thing at the right time, keep still most of the time.”     John W. Roper Those who get in trouble most often are those cannot seem to keep still, remain silent.  Life teaches many lessons.  Among the best lessons of life is one my father taught me at an early age was, “If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing.” The contributions we make to life via our mouth are many and varied.  Most of the time, I reckon, they are not contributions at all, but things that diminish the richness of life.    
Post a Comment
Read more

The Price of Misjudgment

“If a man does not judge himself, all things judge him, and all things become messengers of God.” – Nachman of Bratslav ”If I do not accept responsibility for the evil I do, the very earth will rise up to judge and condemn me. The stars, the trees in the wind will provide sentence…”   -Julius Lester
Post a Comment
Read more