ACT OF KINDNESS -- CHANGES ATTITUDE IN LIFE!!!

[Guest guest]

This is a rather true story but so beautiful and touching that it

brought tears to my eyes every time I read it. Thought I would share it

with a few people. Kindly read it till the end. Even if someone might

have read it already, would suggest that this may be read again so that

we will not forget what we have learnt and try to change our life a

little more.

 

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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, " Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't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 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 favourite 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. "

 

(In case you don't know, eddy Stoddard is the Dr. at Iowa Methodist in

Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)

 

Warm someone's heart today . . . passes 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 " . Perhaps the act of

kindness we show may come back to us at some time or other when we may

really need the same.

 

Random acts of kindness, I think they call it!

 

" In good times, in bad times I'll be on your side forever more, that's

what friends are for. "