I know this story is long, but it brought me to tears!
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.
The teacher 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 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 Vicki, another classmate, reached into her purse, took out her wallet, and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said 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 care for, that they are special and important. Tell them before it's too late
That's an amazing story..
THIS ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORIES THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING.
I loved that story!! Thank u for sharing. U never know how powerful your words are.
that was such a great story!
it touched me so much!
That is so moving! Thank you for posting this!
this is lovely... and shows that yes we do take life forgranted and never know when things can come to an end.... beautiful story ..
It's sooo beautiful *tears*
Thanx for posting this
i loved it. thanks soo much for sharing :)
thanks for sharing - i always love reading that story!
i loved this. its an amazing powerful story of how love is treasured by people :)
Thanks for sharing...I've never read this before.
my eyes started to tear up, that is such a great story.
Thank you for posting this beautiful story! Our class did the same activity in Choir my junior year of high school, and I still have my list too!!
Wow...loved the story. Brought a tear to my eye!
My team did this and I still have my list! <3
wow this is a great story!!
THERE SHOULD BE MORE TEACHERS LIKE THIS!!!!
this is a beautiful story!!! it brought a tear to my eye as well!
My psychology class did this. I haven't looked at my paper in so long. I think now I am gonna go look at it. It used to make me so happy. I pray that joy I felt comes back to me. Thank you for posting and reminding me that I have something like that I can look back on. I really needed that today.
this brought tears to my eyes! great story!
wow! this story was beyond amazing. thanks so much for sharing it. =]
What a beautiful story :)
thank you for this :)
Truly Magnificent
great story...so amazingly true...lost a good friend in this war and reading this couldnt help but think of him but needed to be reminded how short life really can be...
Very touching truly a beautiful story, thank you for sharing.
That story is amazing and I actually cried...Thank you for sharing.
My teacher in 6th grade told me that story, too. And we all made a list and guess what I thought people didn't like me at all. Also my teacher told me i had the biggest list of good words. So she made the lists into magnets. And I could not believe. So now i know that people do care about me.
Amazing, thank you for sharing. I am a 3rd grade teacher, I seriously am going to this in my class on Monday. Thank you so much!
Thank you for posting! I may suggest to my English teacher that we do this in her class so that we have something to remember our class by when we graduate in a few months.
wow... amazing! that story was very touching. that you so much for sharing! :)
I LOVE THIS! it's the little things in life that mean the most!
That is such an amazing story. Thank you for sharing. It is good to know that even people you come in contact with as a child help bring out the best and worst in who you will later become. Lesson - always treat people with the respect, love and decency they deserve and if necessary or desired, go above and beyond to make someone else feel special.
oh my word that is an amazing and moving story. it has got to be my most favorite on here so far. :)
wow, my class did this my sr year of high school. i actually thought that was his idea!!
Great story. Ive shown it to just about everyone I work with. Thank you
Great story...very meaningful...reminder to tell your friends and family that you love them and how much they mean to you often!
This is a great story!! Thanks soo much for posting it :)
Such a great story and true message.
Last year in one of my college classes I was asked to do the same thing. I still have my piece of paper.
I teach 7th grade and I do this with my kids too. Not quite in such a dramatic fashion, but I have several kids who come back and show me that they still have their papers years later. Great, great way to share the love.
*tears*
thanks for posting!
This is an beautiful story. I'm crying as I'm typing this all out because unfortunately I know someone who didn't have any one to tell him that he was special, to remind him of how important he was in their life. He killed himself. I just hope that people will realize life isn't a hard as they think it is. All we need is to ask for help or to have someone there to help, even if it is that one person. Don't live life in fear, but live life as though there were no tomorrow. Have faith.
I hear this story before. Its a very good story. Thanks for posting and sharing. We should never take life for granted :)
Absolutely a lovely story. Very inspiring. Thank you for sharing this.
In one of the Russian poems are the words: "Every time says goodbye to loved ones as if leaving forever, and not for a moment."
Thank you Ms. Broughton, i still have my list :)
that sound like something i would have done too. this is an amazing story, wow. thanks for sharing this.
that is an amazing story. brought me to tears. thanks for sharing.
i've read that story before and i seriously love it! it gives me chills!