ONE OF THE BEST STORIES
I'VE EVER HEARD!
As Mrs. Thompson 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'Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show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!
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