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6:54am, December 01, 2006
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[Delete] | From a good friend. Very much worth the read.
>Subject: Terrific True Story]
>
>ONE OF THE BEST STORIES I'VE EVER HEARD!!!!!!
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> As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day
>of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked
>at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was
>impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a
>little boy named Teddy Stoddard.
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> Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he
>did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and
>that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It
>got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking
>his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F"
>at the top of his papers.
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> At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review
>each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when
>she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.
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> Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a
>ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners... he is a joy to
>be around.."
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> His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well
>liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a
>terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."
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> His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on
>him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest, and
>his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."
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> Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't
>show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes
>sleeps in class."
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> By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of
>herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas
>presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's.
>His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from
>a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the
>other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a
>rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was
>one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when
>she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some
>of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day
>just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom
>used to."
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> After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that
>very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she
>began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy As
>she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged
>him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one
>of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would
>love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets.."
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> A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling
>her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.
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> Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then
>wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was
>still the best teacher he ever had in life.
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> Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while
>things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it,
>and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured
>Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had ever
>had in his whole life.
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> Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time
>he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a
>little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and
>favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer.... The
>letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.
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> The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter
>that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He
>explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was
>wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place
>that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs.
>Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several
>rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume
>that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.
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> They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs.
>Thompson's ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so
>much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a
>difference"
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> Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back She said,
>"Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could
>make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."
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> (For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr. at Iowa
>Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)
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> Warm someone's heart today. . pass this along. I love this story so
>very much, I cry every time I read it. Just try to make a difference in
>someone's life today? tomorrow? just "do it".
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> Random acts of kindness, I think they call it! |
