A touching story I came across on the net

[Guest guest]

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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, " Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't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 he r

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.)