The Story of Teddy Stoddard

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 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 little black 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  Teddy's fourth-grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is  withdrawn and 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 beautiful 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.  And guess what, she wore 
 that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing.  And I bet on 
 that special day, Jean Thompson smelled just like... well, just like the 
 way Teddy remembered his mother
 smelling on their last Christmas together.
 
 THE MORAL:   You never can tell what type of impact you may make on  
 another's life by your actions or lack of action.  Consider this fact in 
 your venture through life.
 
 
 
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   * Middle age: the time of life when a man will let his wife go anywhere   *
   * as long as she doesn't insist on his coming along.  (T. F. Tenney)
 *    *
    *
   *                                                                         *
   * Intuition is what enables a woman to contradict her husband before he   *
   * says anything.  (T. F. Tenney)                                          *
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