story) Hope this also touches your life

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 was constantly in need of 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 Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show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 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 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 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. Stoddard, 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. 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
> difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you! "
>
>
>
> (For those of you who don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr. at Iowa
> Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)
>
>
>
> Warm someone's heart today. . . pass this along. I love this story so
> very much. 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. "
>