Teddy Stoddard
Story

Teddy Stoddard

Teddy’s Story

There’s  a  story
from  many  years  ago
that  tells  of
an  elementary   school  teacher
whose  name  was
Mrs.  Thompson.

As  she  stood  in  front  of
her  fifth-grade  class
on  the  first  day  of  school,
she  told  her  children  a  lie.

Like  most  teachers,
she  looked  at  her  students
and  told  them  that
she  loved  them  all  the  same.

But that simply was not true,
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.

His clothes were messy
and he constantly needed a bath.

Teddy could be unpleasant at times.

It got to the point
where Mrs. Thompson
would take delight
in marking his papers
with a broad red pen
and making bold X’s
and finally putting a Big “F”
on the top of his papers.

At the school
where Mrs. Thompson taught
she was required
to review each child’s
past records.

She put Teddy’s off till last.
When she finally reviewed his file,
she was in for a surprise.

Teddys first grade teacher wrote,
“Teddy is a bright child
with a ready laugh.

He does his work neatly
and has good manners.

He’s a joy
to be around.”

His second-grade teacher wrote,
“Teddy is an excellent student
and well-liked
by his classmates.

But he’s 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.

His home life
will soon affect him
if steps aren’t taken.”

Teddys fourth grade teacher wrote,
“Teddy is withdrawn
and doesn’t show
much interest in school.

He doesn’t have many friends
and sometimes
he even 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 Teddys.

His present was clumsily wrapped
in 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 explained
how pretty the bracelet was
while putting it on
and then dabbing some of the perfume
on her wrist.

Teddy Stoddard
stayed after school that day
just long enough to say,
“Mrs. Thompson,
today you smell
just like my mom used to.”

After the children left
she cried for at least an hour.

On this very day,
she quit teaching reading,
writing and arithmetic
and instead
she began to teach children. 

Mrs. Thompson began
to pay close attention to Teddy
as she worked with him.

As time went on
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.

Despite her lie,
he had become
one of her teacher’s pets.

A year later
she found a note
under the door
from Teddy
telling her
that she was
the best teacher
he had ever had
in his whole life.

Six years passed by
and to her surprise,
another note
came from Teddy.

He wrote that
he had finished high school
third in his class
and that
she was still the best teacher
that he had ever had
in his whole life.

Four years later,
another letter came,
saying that
while things had been tough at times,
he stayed in school
and stuck with it
and that he had graduated
from college
with the highest of honors.

He assured Mrs. Thompson
that she was still the very best
and favorite teacher
he had ever had
in his whole life.

Four more years passed by
and yet another letter came.

This time he explained that
after he got his bachelor’s degree,
he had decided
to go a little further.

Again, assuring her
that she was still
the best and favorite teacher
he ever had.

The letter was signed
Theodore F. Stoddard MD.

The story doesn’t end there.

There was one final letter
that spring.

Teddy said that
he had met this girl
and that he was going
to be married.

He explained that
his father had died
a couple years ago
and he was wondering
if Mrs. Thompson might agree
to sit in the place,
at his wedding,
that was usually reserved
for the mother
of the groom.

Of course, Mrs. Thompson did.

She wore that bracelet,
the one with
the several rhinestones missing.

She also made sure
she was wearing the perfume
that Teddy remembered
his mother wearing
on their last Christmas together.

After the wedding,
they hugged each other
as Dr. Stoddard whispered
in Mrs. Thompson ear,

“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,
“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.”