A beautiful, expensively dressed young lady came to see the doctor and complained that her whole life was empty: it had no meaning.

   The doctor called over an old lady who cleaned the office floors, and then said to the rich lady, “I’m going to ask Mary here to tell you how she found happiness. All I want you to do is to listen.”

So the old lady put down her broom(笤帚) and began her story:“Good afternoon, madam. I’m a cleaner in this hospital. Now let me tell you something about my life experience. Well, my husband died of heart disease and three months later my only son was killed by a car. I had nobody…I had nothing left. I couldn’t sleep; I couldn’t eat; I never smiled at anyone, I even thought of taking my own life because I didn’t want to live alone in the world. Then one evening a little cat followed me home from work. Somehow I felt sorry for it. I decided to let the cat in. I got it some milk, and it licked the plate clean. Then it purred and rubbed(蹭) against my leg, and for the first time in months, I smiled. Then I began to think: If helping a little cat could make me smile, maybe doing something for people could make me happy. So the next day I took some rice, vegetables and meat to my neighbor who was sick in bed. Every day I tried to do something nice for someone. It made me feel so happy to see them happy. Today, I don’t know of anybody who sleeps and eats better than I do. I’ve found happiness, by giving it to others.”

When she heard that, the rich young lady cried. She had everything that money could buy, but she had lost the things which money couldn’t buy.

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