The Perfume-real tearjerker

[Julia Kimber]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but thought it seemed appropriate.




THE PERFUME
> >
> > 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 Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show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 the 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 thenwrote
> > 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 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."
> >
>

[homesteadmamma]

[KKCondrey]

That was lovely Julia

[Jayne]

What a beautiful story..thanks Julia