| Status | Hoax | | Comments |
This nice story may bring a tear to your eye, but it is total fiction. | | Description | Heart Test
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 constantly needed 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withdrawn and doesn't Show much interest in school.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 a difference. I didn't know how to teach until
I met you."
(For you that 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, I cry every
time I read it. 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"
| | Related links | Stoddard Cancer Wing at Iowa Methodist
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