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Grand Magnate
Member Since Oct 2005
Posts: 3,886
18 47 hugs
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#1
>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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't 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" __________________ Please donate to your local animal humane shelter! Thank-you! |
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Oct 2005
Posts: 3,886
18 47 hugs
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#2
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__________________ Please donate to your local animal humane shelter! Thank-you! |
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