This is such a very good lesson....Maggie
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.
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.
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.
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..'
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.'
His third
grade teacher wrote, 'His mother's death has been hard on him. He
tri es 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.'
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withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school.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.'
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.'
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.'
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.'
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.'
For
you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the doctor at Iowa Methodist
in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.
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'.
Random acts of
kindness, I think they call it! 'Believe in Angels, then return the
favor' |
