FAITH

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie!  Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said 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 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."

His fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much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 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 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 her "teacher's pets."   A few year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the
best teacher he had ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He wrote that
he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best  teacher he had 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 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 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, he'd 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 in the place at the wedding  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 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.

Please remember that wherever you go, and whatever you do, you will
have the opportunity to touch and/or change a person's outlook. Please try
to do it in a positive way. Reach for the moon; if you miss, you will land
among the stars!