Re: ******Merry Christmas ******* Feliz Natal
From: Dr. David R. McCoubrey (mccd@glen-net.ca)
Sat Dec 19 08:44:28 1998
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Thank you for the uplifting story of how people teach one another life values!!
Merry Christmas/ Joyeux Noel to all!
David McCoubrey MDCM FRCSC
Cornwall General Hospital
Hotel Dieu Hospital, Cornwall
Cornwall, Ontario Canada
Dinha@aol.com wrote:
> Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas ............
> I would like to share with you all an email I received.
>
> > LITTLE TEDDY STODDARD
> >
> > There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher. Her name was
> Mrs. Thompson. And 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 that 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."
> Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show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."
> 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 which 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, and 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 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 his 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 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'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."
>
> ........ Some times we learn from our patients that we can make a difference
> .....
> Alda Mendoza, BSN, PHN, RN, WHCNP
> Torance, California
