>Hope you enjoy this story
>
>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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't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.)
>
>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"