LITTLE TEDDY STODDARD
>
>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 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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn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 one 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 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 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."
>
>*Warm someone's heart today... Pass it along.
> >>
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