This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0097_01BE02B6.64E53940 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable One of my step-daughters sent this. I feel it good enough to share with = all of you. Sharon ************************************************************************ ALL GOOD THINGS=20 He was in the first third grade class I taught at Saint Mary's School in = Morris, Minn. All 34 of my students were dear to me, but Mark Eklund = was one in a million. Very neat in appearance, but had that = happy-to-be-alive attitude that made even his occasional = mischieviousness delightful. Mark talked incessantly! I had to remind = him again and again=20 that talking without permission was not acceptable.=20 What impressed me so much, though, was his sincere response every time I = had to correct him for misbehaving - "Thank you for correcting me, = Sister! I didn't know what to make of it at first, but before long I = became accustomed to hearing it many times a day.=20 One morning my patience was growing thin when Mark talked once too = often, and then I made a novice-teacher's mistake. I looked at Mark and = said, "If you say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth shut!"=20 It wasn't ten seconds later when Chuck blurted out, "Mark is talking = again." I hadn't asked any of the students to help me watch Mark, but = since I had stated the punishment in front of the class, I had to act on = it.=20 I remember the scene as if it had occurred this morning. I walked to my = desk, very deliberately opened by drawer and took out a roll of masking = tape.=20 Without saying a word, I proceeded to Mark's desk, tore off two pieces = of tape and made a big X with them over his mouth. I then returned to = the front of the room. As I glanced at Mark to see how he was doing, he = winked at me.=20 That did it!! I started laughing. The class cheered as I walked back = to Mark's desk, removed the tape, and shrugged my shoulders. His first = words were, "Thank you for correcting me, Sister."=20 At the end of the year, I was asked to teach junior-high math. The = years flew by, and before I knew it Mark was in my classroom again. He = was more handsome than ever and just as polite. Since he had to listen = carefully to my instructions in the "new math," he did not talk as much = in ninth grade as he had in third.=20 One Friday, things just didn't feel right. We had worked hard on a new = concept all week, and I sensed that the students were frowning, = frustrated with themselves and edgy with one another. I had to stop = this crankiness before it got out of hand. So I asked them to list the = names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving = a space between each name. Then I told them to think of the nicest = thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. = It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, = and as the students left the room, each one handed me the papers. = Charlie smiled. Mark said, "Thank you for teaching me, Sister. Have a = good weekend."=20 That Saturday, I wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet = of paper, and I listed what everyone else had said about that = individual. On Monday I gave each student his or her list.=20 Before long, the entire class Was smiling. "Really?" I heard = whispered. "I never knew that meant anything to anyone!" "I didn't = know others liked me so much." No one ever mentioned those papers in = class again. I never knew if they discussed them after class or with = their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its = purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another = again. That group of students moved on.=20 Several years later, after I returned from vacation, my parents met me = at the airport. As we were driving home, Mother asked me the usual = questions about the trip - the weather, my experiences in general. = There was a lull in the conversation. Mother gave Dad a side-ways = glance and simply said, "Dad?" My father cleared his throat as he = usually did before something important.=20 "The Eklunds called last night," he began. "Really?", I said. "I = haven't heard from them in years. I wonder how Mark is." Dad responded = quietly. "Mark was killed in Vietnam," he said. "The funeral is = tomorrow, and his parents would like it if you could attend." To this = day I can still point to the exact spot on I-494 where Dad told me about = Mark.=20 I had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. Mark looked = so handsome, so mature. All I could think at that moment was, "Mark, I = would give all the masking tape in the world if only you would talk to = me."=20 The church was packed with Mark's friends. Chuck's sister sang "The = Battle Hymn of the Republic." Why did it have to rain on the day of the = funeral? It was difficult enough at the graveside. The pastor said the = usual prayers, and the bugler played taps. One by one, those who loved = Mark took a last walk by the coffin and sprinkled it with holy water.=20 I was the last one to bless the coffin. As I stood there, one of the = Soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to me. "Were you Mark's math = teacher?" he asked. I nodded as I continued to stare at the coffin. = "Mark talked about you a lot," he said.=20 After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates headed to Chuck's = farmhouse for lunch. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously = waiting for me. "We want to show you something," his father said, = taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was = killed.=20 We thought you might recognize it."=20 Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook = paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times.=20 I knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which I had = listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him. = "Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can = see, Mark treasured it."Mark's classmates started to gather around us. = Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's = in the top drawer of my desk at home."=20 Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album." "I = have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary." Then Vicki, another = classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed = her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all = times," Vicki said without batting an eyelash. "I think we all saved = our lists."=20 That's when I finally sat down and cried. I cried for Mark and for all = his friends who would never see him again.=20 THE END=20 Written by Sister Helen P. Mrosla=20 The purpose of this letter is to encourage everyone to compliment the = people you love and care about. We often tend to forget the importance = of showing our affections and love. Sometimes the smallest of things, = could mean the most to another. I am asking you to please send this = letter around and spread the message and encouragement, to express your = love and caring by complimenting and being open with communication. The = density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will = end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be. So please, I = beg of you, tell the people you love and care for that they are special = and important. Tell them, before it is too late.=20 =20 =20 ------=_NextPart_000_0097_01BE02B6.64E53940 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Diso-8859-1 = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D'"MSHTML 4.72.3110.7"' name=3DGENERATOR> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV> <P><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D2>One of my step-daughters sent = this. =20 I feel it good enough to share with all of=20 you. Sharon</FONT> <P><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3D"Times New Roman"=20 size=3D2>****************************************************************= ********</FONT></P> <P>ALL GOOD THINGS </P> <P>He was in the first third grade class I taught at Saint Mary's School = in=20 Morris, Minn. All 34 of my students were dear to me, but Mark = Eklund was=20 one in a million. Very neat in appearance, but had that = happy-to-be-alive=20 attitude that made even his occasional mischieviousness = delightful. Mark=20 talked incessantly! I had to remind him again and again <BR>that = talking=20 without permission was not acceptable. <BR>What impressed me so much, = though,=20 was his sincere response every time I had to correct him for misbehaving = -=20 "Thank you for correcting me, Sister! I didn't know what to = make of=20 it at first, but before long I became accustomed to hearing it many = times a day.=20 <BR>One morning my patience was growing thin when Mark talked once too = often,=20 and then I made a novice-teacher's mistake. I looked at Mark and = said,=20 "If you say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth = shut!" <BR>It=20 wasn't ten seconds later when Chuck blurted out, "Mark is talking=20 again." I hadn't asked any of the students to help me watch = Mark, but=20 since I had stated the punishment in front of the class, I had to act on = it.=20 <BR>I remember the scene as if it had occurred this morning. I = walked to=20 my desk, very deliberately opened by drawer and took out a roll of = masking tape.=20 <BR>Without saying a word, I proceeded to Mark's desk, tore off two = pieces of=20 tape and made a big X with them over his mouth. I then returned to = the=20 front of the room. As I glanced at Mark to see how he was doing, = he winked=20 at me. <BR>That did it!! I started laughing. The class = cheered=20 as I walked back to Mark's desk, removed the tape, and shrugged my=20 shoulders. His first words were, "Thank you for correcting = me,=20 Sister." <BR>At the end of the year, I was asked to teach = junior-high=20 math. The years flew by, and before I knew it Mark was in my = classroom=20 again. He was more handsome than ever and just as polite. = Since he=20 had to listen carefully to my instructions in the "new math," = he did=20 not talk as much in ninth grade as he had in third. <BR>One Friday, = things just=20 didn't feel right. We had worked hard on a new concept all week, = and I=20 sensed that the students were frowning, frustrated with themselves and = edgy with=20 one another. I had to stop this crankiness before it got out of=20 hand. So I asked them to list the names of the other students in = the room=20 on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then I = told=20 them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their = classmates=20 and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to = finish=20 their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed me = the=20 papers. Charlie smiled. Mark said, "Thank you for = teaching me,=20 Sister. Have a good weekend." <BR>That Saturday, I wrote down = the=20 name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and I listed what = everyone=20 else had said about that individual. On Monday I gave each student his = or her=20 list. <BR>Before long, the entire class Was smiling. =20 "Really?" I heard whispered. "I never knew = that meant=20 anything to anyone!" "I didn't know others liked me so=20 much." No one ever mentioned those papers in class = again. I=20 never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but = it=20 didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its = purpose. The=20 students were happy with themselves and one another again. That = group of=20 students moved on. <BR>Several years later, after I returned from = vacation, my=20 parents met me at the airport. As we were driving home, Mother = asked me=20 the usual questions about the trip - the weather, my experiences in=20 general. There was a lull in the conversation. Mother gave = Dad a=20 side-ways glance and simply said, "Dad?" My father = cleared his=20 throat as he usually did before something important. <BR>"The = Eklunds=20 called last night," he began. "Really?", I = said. =20 "I haven't heard from them in years. I wonder how Mark=20 is." Dad responded quietly. "Mark was killed in = Vietnam,"=20 he said. "The funeral is tomorrow, and his parents would like = it if=20 you could attend." To this day I can still point to the exact = spot on=20 I-494 where Dad told me about Mark. <BR>I had never seen a serviceman in = a=20 military coffin before. Mark looked so handsome, so mature. = All I=20 could think at that moment was, "Mark, I would give all the masking = tape in=20 the world if only you would talk to me." <BR>The church was packed = with=20 Mark's friends. Chuck's sister sang "The Battle Hymn of the=20 Republic." Why did it have to rain on the day of the funeral? = It was=20 difficult enough at the graveside. The pastor said the usual = prayers, and=20 the bugler played taps. One by one, those who loved Mark took a = last walk=20 by the coffin and sprinkled it with holy water. <BR>I was the last one = to bless=20 the coffin. As I stood there, one of the Soldiers who acted as = pallbearer=20 came up to me. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he = asked. I=20 nodded as I continued to stare at the coffin. "Mark talked about = you a=20 lot," he said. <BR>After the funeral, most of Mark's former = classmates=20 headed to Chuck's farmhouse for lunch. Mark's mother and father = were=20 there, obviously waiting for me. "We want to show you=20 something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. = "They=20 found this on Mark when he was killed. <BR>We thought you might = recognize=20 it." <BR>Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces = of=20 notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many = times.=20 <BR>I knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which I had = listed=20 all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him. = "Thank=20 you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you = can=20 see, Mark treasured it."Mark's classmates started to gather around=20 us. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have = my=20 list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home." <BR>Chuck's = wife=20 said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album." = "I=20 have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my = diary." =20 Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her = wallet=20 and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry = this=20 with me at all times," Vicki said without batting an eyelash. = "I=20 think we all saved our lists." <BR>That's when I finally sat down = and=20 cried. I cried for Mark and for all his friends who would never = see him=20 again.=20 <P>THE END=20 <P>Written by Sister Helen P. Mrosla=20 <P>The purpose of this letter is to encourage everyone to compliment the = people=20 you love and care about. We often tend to forget the importance of = showing=20 our affections and love. Sometimes the smallest of things, could = mean the=20 most to another. I am asking you to please send this letter around and = spread=20 the message and encouragement, to express your love and caring by = complimenting=20 and being open with communication. The density of people in society is = so thick=20 that we forget that life will end one day. And we don't know when = that one=20 day will be. So please, I beg of you, tell the people you love and = care=20 for that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is = too late.=20 <BR> <BR> </P></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0097_01BE02B6.64E53940--