Teddy Stoddard Story

There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher.
Her name was Mrs.Thompson. And as she stood in front of
her 5th grade class on her 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fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and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 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 presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and
bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present which 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, and 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 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, 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 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 several rhinestones missing. And she made sure
she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother
wearing on their last time 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."

You can never tell what type of impact you may have on another life by
your actions... or lack of actions. Please consider this fact in your
venture through life and just try to...make a difference in someone else
life today

Vengo, maestro, porque me siento tan poca cosa que no tengo fuerzas para hacer nada. Me dicen que no sirvo, que no hago nada bien, que soy torpe y bastante tonto. ¿Cómo puedo mejorar? ¿Qué puedo hacer para que me valoren más?

El maestro sin mirarlo, le, dijo: Cuanto lo siento muchacho, no puedo ayudarte, debo resolver primero mi propio problema. Quizá después…

-y haciendo una pausa agregó: si quisieras ayudarme tú a mí, yo podría resolver este problema con más rapidez y después tal vez te pueda ayudar.

- E…encantado,- maestro- titubeó el joven, pero sintió que otra vez era desvalorizado, y sus necesidades postergadas.

Bien, asintió el maestro. Se quitó un anillo que llevaba en el dedo pequeño y dándoselo al muchacho, agregó- toma el caballo que está allá afuera y cabalga hasta el mercado. Debo vender este anillo porque tengo que pagar una deuda. Es necesario que obtengas por él la mayor suma posible, pero no aceptes menos de una moneda de oro. Ve y regresa con esa moneda lo más rápido que puedas. El joven tomó el anillo y partió.

Apenas llegó, empezó a ofrecer el anillo a los mercaderes. Estos lo miraban con algún interés, hasta que el joven decía lo que pretendía por el anillo. Cuando el joven mencionaba la moneda de oro, algunos reían, otros le daban vuelta la cara y sólo un viejito fue tan amable como para tomarse la molestia de explicarle que una moneda de oro era muy valiosa para entregarla a cambio de un anillo.

En afán de ayudar, alguien le ofreció una moneda de plata y un cacharro de cobre, pero el joven tenía instrucciones de no aceptar menos de una moneda de oro y rechazó la oferta. Después de ofrecer su joya a toda persona que se
cruzaba en el mercado, más de cien personas-, abatido por su fracaso montó su caballo y regresó.

¡Cuánto hubiera deseado el joven tener él mismo esa moneda de oro! Podría entonces habérsela entregado él mismo al maestro para liberarlo de su preocupación y recibir entonces su consejo y ayuda. Entró en la habitación.

-Maestro- dijo- lo siento, no se puede conseguir lo que me pediste. Quizá pudiera conseguir dos o tres monedas de plata, pero no creo que yo pueda engañar a nadie respecto del verdadero valor del anillo.

-Qué importante lo que dijiste, joven amigo- contestó sonriente el maestro-.

Debemos saber primero el verdadero valor del anillo. Vuelve a montar y vete al joyero. ¿Quién mejor que él para saberlo? Dile que quisieras vender el anillo y pregúntale cuánto te da por él. Pero no importa lo que ofrezca, no se lo
vendas. Vuelve aquí con mi anillo.

El joven volvió a cabalgar. El joyero examinó el anillo a la luz del candil con su lupa, lo pesó y luego le dijo:
-Dile al maestro, muchacho, que si lo quiere vender YA, no puedo darle más que 58 monedas de oro por su anillo
- ¡ 58 MONEDAS ! Exclamó el joven.

Sí, replicó el joyero- yo sé que con tiempo podríamos obtener por él cerca de 70 monedas, pero no sé…si la venta es urgente…

El joven corrió emocionado a la casa del maestro a contarle lo sucedido.
-Siéntate- dijo el maestro después de escucharlo- Tú eres como este anillo: una joya, valiosa y única. Y como tal, sólo puede revaluarte verdaderamente un experto.

¿Qué haces por la vida pretendiendo que cualquiera descubra tu verdadero valor?
Y diciendo esto, volvió a ponerse el anillo en el dedo pequeño.