posted April 27, 2002 01:23 AM
This is an email to share.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 some 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 pall bearer, 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 notepaper 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 classmates 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 Vickie, 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," Vickie said, and without batting an eyelash, she continued: "I think we all saved our lists."
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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Music is well said to be the speech of angels.~Author Unknown
Lindaland
UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone! 
posted April 27, 2002 01:23 AM
You're always there for me. U love us very much and tell us and show it. U always explain things to us. U teach us things that all the schools in the world couldn't teach us. 
I love U! RRRRRROOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRR!!!!!! 
<--This is for friends not gemini.
posted April 27, 2002 11:08 AM
Good morning Little Tiger! That is really neat, I am thinking of maybe bringing it to work. Thanks for what you said to me! That is so nice! You do have a very great and wonderful Mother! 
posted May 06, 2002 06:38 PM
and a most EXCELLENT exercise for teachers to present to their young students 
posted May 08, 2002 10:23 AM
Little Tiger, I was so touched my your story, had to say Thank you for sharing. I Have been feeling a little low lately with no 'knowflakes' for me to link up with, & now I've found all of you,I have always been scared of chat rooms and such, but as Linda reminded us - 'Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.' Hebrews 13:2 
posted May 08, 2002 07:05 PM
posted May 09, 2002 09:30 AM
