#1211  Teddy
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submission from a MountainWings member:

Dear MountainWings...everyday I look forward to reading the
inspiration you give me either by joke, story or what may come 
from your enlightened mind at the time; it really does inspire 
my day...one of the very best things that come into my mailbox 
everyday! 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have helped me 
through some very tough days... more than you will ever know...
I want to give back an inspirational story that was given to 
me...here goes:


Her name was Mrs. Thompson. 

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Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and 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 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 was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got 
from the 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 the lie, that she loved all 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 his 
whole 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, MD.

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 the 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 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."

Warm someone's heart today....pass this along!

Please remember that wherever you go and whatever you do, you 
will have the opportunity to touch and /or change a person's 
outlook on life.

And you at MountainWings.com do just that.

"Friends are angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have 
trouble remembering how to fly."

Thank you for being that friend to myself and others who enjoy 
receiving that daily lift!


submitted by L.N., Skyforest, CA

Thank you for inviting MountainWings in your mailbox. 
See you tomorrow.