 |
Health knowledge made personal
|
|
|
Health knowledge made personal
|
|
One day a teacher asked her students to list the namesof 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 theycouldsay about each of their classmates and writeit down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish theirassignment,and as the students left the room,eachone handed in the papers. That Saturday,the teacher wrote down the name ofeachstudent on a separate piece of paper andlisted whateveryone else had said about thatindividual. 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 mentanything to anyone !” and ” I didn’t know otherslikedme so much” were most of the comments. No one ever mentioned those papers in class again.She never knew if they discussed them afterclass orwith their parents,but it didn’t matter. The exercise hadaccomplished its purpose.The studentswere happywith themselves and one another.That group of students moved on. Several years later ,one of the students was killed inViet Nam.His teacher attended the funeral of that special student.She hadnever seen a serviceman in a military coffin before.He looked sohandsome, so mature. The church was packed with his friends.One by one, those wholoved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the lastone to bless the coffin. As she stood there,one of the soldierswho acted as pallbearercame up to her.” Were you Mark’s teacher ?” he asked. Shenodded : “Yes” Then he said : “Mark talked about you a lot”. After the funeral,most of Mark’s former classmates went togetherto a luncheon.Mark’s mother and fatherwere there,obviouslywaiting to speak with his teacher. “We want to show you something,”his father said, takinga walletout of his pocket.“They found this on Mark whenhe was killed.Wethought you might recognize it”. Opening the billfold,he carefullyremoved two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviouslybeen taped,folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the oneson which she had listed all the good things each of Mark’sclassmates had said about him. “Thank you so much for doing that” Mark’s mother said. “As youcan see,Mark treasured it.” All of Mark’s former classmates started togather 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,reachedinto her pocket,took out her wallet and showed her worn andfrazzled list to the group.” I carry this with me at all times”Vicki said and withoutbatting an eyelash,she continued : “I think we all saved our lists.” That’s when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She criedfor Mark and for all his friends who would never see him again. The density of people in society is so thick that we forgetlife willend one day.And we don’t know when that one daywill be. So,please tell the people you love and care for ,thatthey arespecial and important.Please,tell them before it istoo late. May Your Day Be Blessed As Special As You Are ! |
Write a comment:
|
