Courage to make a difference
Here is an inspiring story I read. What would the world be like if we all tryed a little harder to make a difference. All it takes is a little work and a little love.
Blessings to all.
*/The Courage to Make a Difference/*
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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show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 still 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, however. 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 those of you who don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr. at Iowa
Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)
Try to make a difference in someone's life… today? tomorrow? It doesn’t
matter when, just "do it" when the opportunity arises. Random acts of
kindness, I think they call it?
"Believe in Angels, then return the favor."
~ By Roberta West
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