SCENTED MEMORIES

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fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't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."
Six
years later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling
her 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 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 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."

~
Contributed by Sherry in Miami, Florida