Believe...
by Elizabeth Silance Ballard
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. 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 got tot he 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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show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
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 quite
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 on of her "teacher's pets."
A year later, she found a note under he 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, second 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 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 and he was wondering if Mrs.
Thompson might agree to sit I the place at the weeding 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 make 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."
