Something to Think About

[NannyB.]

This is kind of long, but it's very thought provoking.

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 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.'



Teddy's  fourth grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is withdrawn  and doesn't show much interest in school.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 Dr.  at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the  Stoddard Cancer Wing.) 



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'

[kelly02]

Dec. 12, 2009 at 10:48 PM

love it!  it made me cry.

[MSugarKane]

Dec. 13, 2009 at 8:39 AM

Beautiful Story!