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Archiver > ARIZARD > 2004-12 > 1103479390


From: "William Smith" <>
Subject: off subject
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 12:03:38 -0600


Subject: Heart Test
My wife passed this to me and it touched me so I wanted to share with the list family. Bill


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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't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 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?
>
>
>
>Next time you are contemplating being judgmental about someone remember

>this
>story. I will.....
>
>
>
>
>
>

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