<< An Example of How We Impact Other People's Lives > > 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 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 Teddy's fourth-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and 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 gay > 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. > > You'll have to decide yourself whether or not she wore that > bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. > > But, I bet on that special day, Jean Thompson smelled just > like...well, just like she smelled many years before, on that last day > of school, before the Christmas Holiday began. > > You never can tell what type of impact you may make on another's > life by your actions or lack of action. Sometimes just a smile on > the street to a passing stranger can make a difference we could never > imagine. > > Would it be nice if we all could have this impact on people?