[Mid] A warm story

My daughter sent me this and I think with all the teacher talk, we all
need this
Enjoy, Elayne

------ Begin forwarded message ----------
From: Trisha M Hecathorn <trishareed@juno.com>
To: jj_126@hotmail.com, tyngteacher@juno.com,
pooh_36@juno.com,jrjet@mtco.com,sherrywhittle@hotmail.com,
GLW73@rocketmail.com, rwurth@bakerhill.com
Subject: : : A warm story
Date: Sat, 12 Jun 1999 08:04:27 -0500
Message-ID: <19990618.232933.8574.0.TrishaReed@juno.com>

-There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher. Her name was
Mrs.Thompson. And as she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the
very
first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she
looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But
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 didn't play well with the other children, that his
clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And 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 Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and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
 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 which 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, and 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 her one "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 his whole 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
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, M.D.

The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that
 spring. Teddy said he'd 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 in the place at the wedding
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. And she made sure she was wearing
the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last
Christmas together.

They hugged each, 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."

*Warm someone's heart today... Pass it along
-----------------------------

                  =^..^= Ravnos =^..^=
               Admitted Aliurophile & proud of it !
                A Good Pun, is it's own Reword
                    A Bad Pun is Even Better !
            {AKA} Lord Yvon Bater of Darkwood
                       Sanctuary@koan.com

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Received on Mon Jun 21 21:02:08 1999