| Subject: Story |
Author:
My Teacher!
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Date Posted: 16:09:16 12/08/01 Sat
One day a teacher asked her students to list the
> > > > > > >>names of the other students in the room on two
> > > > > > >>sheets of paper, leaving a space between each
> > > > > > >>name.
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>Then she told them to think of the nicest thing
> > > > > > >>they could say about each of their classmates and
> > > > > > >>write it down. It took the remainder of the class
> > > > > > >>period to finish their assignment, and as the
> > > > > > >>students left the room, each one handed in the
> > > > > > >>papers.
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of
> > > > > > >>each student on a separate sheet of paper, and
> > > > > > >>listed what everyone else had said about that
> > > > > > >>individual.
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>On Monday she gave each student his or her list.
> > > > > > >>Before long, the entire class was smiling.
> > > > > > >>"Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that
> > > > > > >>I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know
> > > > > > >>others liked me so much," were most of the
> > > > > > >>comments.
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>No one ever mentioned those papers in class again.
> > > > > > >>She never knew if they discussed them after class
> > > > > > >>or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The
> > > > > > >>exercise had accomplished its purpose. The
> > > > > > >>students were happy with themselves and one
> > > > > > >>another.
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>That group of students moved on. Several years
> > > > > > >>later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam
> > > > > > >>and his teacher attended the funeral of that
> > > > > > >>special student. She had never seen a serviceman in
> > > > > > >>a military coffin before. He looked so handsome,
> > > > > > >>so mature.
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>The church was packed with his friends. One by one
> > > > > > >>those who loved him took a last walk by the
> > > > > > >>coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the
> > > > > > >>coffin. As she stood there, one of the soldiers
> > > > > > >>who acted as pallbearer came up to her.
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>"Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She
> > > > > > >>nodded: "yes."
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot."
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>After the funeral, most of Mark's former
> > > > > > >>classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's
> > > > > > >>mother and father were there, obviously waiting to
> > > > > > >>speak with his teacher.
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>"We want to show you something," his father said,
> > > > > > >>taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found
> > > > > > >>this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you
> > > > > > >>might recognize it."
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two
> > > > > > >>worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously
> > > > > > >>been taped, folded and refolded many times. The
> > > > > > >>teacher knew without looking that the papers were
> > > > > > >>the ones on which she had listed all the good
> > > > > > >>things each of Mark's classmates had said about
> > > > > > >>him.
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother
> > > > > > >>said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>All of Mark's former class mates started to gather
> > > > > > >>around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and
> > > > > > >>said, "I still have my list". It's in the top
> > > > > > >>drawer of my desk at home."
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in
> > > > > > >>our wedding album."
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>"I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my
> > > > > > >>diary."
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her
> > > > > > >>pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her
> > > > > > >>worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this
> > > > > > >>with me at all times, " Vicki said and without
> > > > > > >>batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all
> > > > > > >>saved our lists."
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>That's when the teacher finally sat down and
> > > > > > >>cried. She cried for Mark and for all his friends
> > > > > > >>who would never see him again.
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>The density of people in society is so thick that
> > > > > > >>we forget that life will end one day. And we don't
> > > > > > >>know when that one day will be. So please, tell
> > > > > > >>the people you love and care for, that they are
> > > > > > >>special and important. Tell them, before it is too
> > > > > > >>late...
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>AND ONE WAY TO ACCOMPLISH IS:
> > > > > > >>Forward this message on. If you do not send it,
> > > > > > >>you will have, once again passed up the wonderful
> > > > > > >>opportunity to do something nice and beautiful.
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>If you've received this, it is because someone
> > > > > > >>cares for you and it means there is probably at
> > > > > > >>least someone for whom you care.
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>If you're "too busy" to take those few minutes
> > > > > > >>right now to forward this message on, would this
> > > > > > >>be the VERY first time you didn't do that little
> > > > > > >>thing that would make a difference in your
> > > > > > >>relationships? The more people that you send this
> > > > > > >>to, the better you'll be at reaching out to those
> > > > > > >>you care about. Remember, you reap what you sow,
> > > > > > >>what you put into the lives of others comes back
> > > > > > >>into your own.
> > > > > > >>
> > > > > > >>MAY YOUR DAY BE AS SPECIAL AS YOU ARE
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