a teacher's story

I just received this in an e-mail from my ex wife. Thought it worth sharing. Girls get out your hankies. Men you can too just don't tell anyone.



This one is worth reading.

"Heart Test"

As she stood in front of her the 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 Toward.

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 puts 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 the 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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest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 Toward 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

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 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. Toward, 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. Toward 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 those of you who don't know, Teddy Toward is the Dr. at Iowa Methodist in Des

Moines that has the Toward 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? tomorrow? just

"do it".

Random acts of kindness, I think they call it? "Believe in Angels, then return the favor"

"I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble

remembering how to fly."