> > 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 Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show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 he r 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"