on 2/18/02 6:15 PM, Cynthia McDowell at [log in to unmask] wrote:

>
> ----- Original Message -----
> Subject: Momentary Lapse into Reason
>
>
>> Hi, all -- I think this is a good idea for any age child in regular school
>> or Sunday School to teach children that we all have valuable and wonderful
>> traits.
> Cynthia
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> 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. 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 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 class mates 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
>>>>> pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn
>>>>> and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with
>>>>> me at all times, " Vicki said and 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 love and care for, that
>>>>> they are special and important. Tell them, before it is
>>>>> too late... AND ONE WAY TO ACCOMPLISH IS: Forward
>>>>> this message on. If you do not send it, you will have,
>>>>> once again passed up the wonderful opportunity to
>>>>> do something nice and beautiful.
>>>>> If you've received this, it is because someone cares for
>>>>> you and it means there is probably at least someone for
>>>>> whom you care.
>>>>> If you're "too busy" to take those few minutes right
>>>>> now to forward this message on, would this be
>>>>> the VERY first time you didn't do that little thing that
>>>>> would make a difference in your relationships?
>>>>> The more people that you send this to, the better you'll
>>>>> be at reaching out to those you care about.
>>>>>
>>>>> 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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