>>> Jean Thompson stood in front of her fifth-grade class on the >>very
>>> first day of school in the fall and told the children a lie.  Like
most
>>> teachers, she looked at her pupils and said that she loved them all
>>> the same, that she would treat them all alike.  And that was
impossible
>>> because there in front of her, slumped in his seat on the third row,
>>> was a little black boy named Teddy Stoddard. Mrs. Thompson had watched
>>> Teddy the year before and noticed he didn't play well with the other
>>> children, that his clothes were unkempt and that he constantly needed
a
>>> bath.  And Teddy was unpleasant.  It got to the point during the first
>>> few months that she would actually take delight in marking his papers
>>with a
>>> broad red pen, making bold X's and then marking the F at the top of
the
>>> paper biggest of all.  Because Teddy was a sullen little boy, no one
>>> else seemed to enjoy him, either.  At the school where Mrs. Thompson
>>taught,
>>> she was required to review each child's records and put Teddy's off
>>until
>>> last.
>>>
>>>
>>>  When she opened his file, she was in for a surprise. His
>>first-grade
>>> teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright, inquisitive 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, "Teddy continues to work hard but 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withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school.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.  He is tardy and could become
a >>problem."
>>>
>>>  By now Mrs. Thompson realized the problem but Christmas was >>coming
>>> fast.  It was all she could do, with the school play and all, until
the
>>> day before the holidays began and she was suddenly forced to focus on
>>> Teddy Stoddard.
>>>
>>> Her children brought her presents, all in beautiful ribbon and
>>> bright paper,  except for Teddy's, which was clumsily wrapped in the
>>> heavy, brown paper of a scissored 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 cologne.
>>> She stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the
>>> bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume behind
>>> the other wrist.  Teddy Stoddard stayed behind 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  speaking.  Instead, she began
>>> to teach children.
>>>
>>>  Jean Thompson paid particular attention to one they all called
>>"Teddy."
>>>
>>>
>>> As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive.  The more she
>>> encouraged him, the faster he responded.  On days there would be an
>>> important test, Mrs. Thompson would remember that cologne. By the
>>> end of the year he had become one of the smartest children in the
>>class,
>>> and well, he had also become the "pet" of the teacher who had once
>>vowed
>>> to love all of her children exactly the same.  A year later she found
a
>>> note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that of all the teachers
>>> he'd had in elementary school, she was his favorite.
>>>
>>>  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 his favorite teacher of all time.  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 graduate from college
>>> with the highest of honors.  He assured  Mrs. Thompson she was still
>>his
>>> favorite teacher.
>>>
>>> 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 his
>>favorite
>>> teacher but that 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 to be married.  He
>>> explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was
>>> wondering... well, if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the pew
>>usually >>reserved
>>> for the mother of  the groom.  And guess what, she  wore that bracelet,
>>the
>>> one with several rhinestones missing.  And I bet on that special day,
>>> Jean Thompson smelled just like... well, just like the way Teddy
>>remembered
>>> his mother smelling on their last Christmas together.
>>>
>>>  THE MORAL:   You never can tell what type of impact you may >>make on
>>> another's life by your actions or lack of action.  Consider this fact
>>> in your venture thru life.