RichieP
07-31-2009, 07:26 AM
A friend sent this early this morning:
?THE PERFUME
?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"Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school.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 forTeddy'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 his "teacher's pets."?
?
?
?
?
?
One?year later,?Mrs. Thompson?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 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, MB.MD (http://mb.md/). MBsc MR cod Lon.
?
?
?
?
?
?
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."?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
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? tomorrow?? just "do it". Random acts of kindness, I think they call it.
?"Believe in Angels, then return the favor"
?THE PERFUME
?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 forTeddy'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 his "teacher's pets."?
?
?
?
?
?
One?year later,?Mrs. Thompson?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 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, MB.MD (http://mb.md/). MBsc MR cod Lon.
?
?
?
?
?
?
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."?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
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? tomorrow?? just "do it". Random acts of kindness, I think they call it.
?"Believe in Angels, then return the favor"