Touching story...thought I'd share

[Paulette]

 This is a wonderful story and a true story. Also old - you may have read it
before.  It was a great refresher for me today....enjoy!




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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show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 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 who don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Doctor 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... Just 'do it'.



Random acts of kindness, I think they call it!

Believe in Angels, then return the favor.



The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing
it.

[Irmi]

Thanks Paulette.

[Sandersmr]

Just goes to show what a little attention can do.

[Bethers]

Have read that 3 or 4 times before and again, I sit here with my eyes filled with tears. Of course I read it again. It's worth it every time.

Thanks, Paulette.

[Dawn309]

Ditto what Beth said. I cried too.

[Bethers]

I was reminded that it's not a true story - which it seems to me someone told me once before. I still love the story - but here's the info on it for any who care:

http://www.snopes.com/glurge/teddy.asp

[avalen]

true or not, its a touching story and reminds us that whats on the outside isn't always whats on the inside.
Thank you for posting it