I think estrogen is doing its job on me, at least with my emotions! I used to b the tough guy, who never did cry (not hen my mother, father, sister or best friend died).
Reading through the following story, I just had lots of tears running, so much that I had to stop reading to dry my eyes!
Did I become a cry baby, or do you girls feel similar reading this?
Beautiful True Story
1.
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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't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. 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.)
Warm someone's heart today. . . pass this along.
Random acts of kindness, I think they call it?
