The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone - Harriet Beecher Stowe

Poems by Mattie Stepanek

An excerpt from "Prayer for a Journey"

Life is a miracle,
And a journey through life
Is so full of so many more miracles
If we travel with our Heartsongs.

April 1998

No matter who you are,
Say a prayer this season.
No matter what your faith,
Say a prayer this season.
No matter how you celebrate,
Say a prayer this season.
There are so many ways
To celebrate faiths,
There are so many faiths
To celebrate life.
No matter who,
No matter what
No matter how...
You pray.
Let's say a prayer
This season,
Together, for peace.

December 1999

Do not be in a hurry to fill up an empty space with words and embellishments, before it has been filled with a deep interior peace - Father Alexander Elchaninov

I have a simple philosophy. Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. And scratch where it itches - Alice Roosevelt Longworth

Man looks at outward appearance but the Lord looks within

THE TEACHER'S PET

 As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day
of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she
looked at her students
and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible,
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
Did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy
and
that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be
unpleasant.

 It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight
in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then
putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.

 At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to
review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last.
However,
when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

 Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a
ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners... he is a joy
to be around.."

 His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student,
well liked by his classmates, but he is 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
and
his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."

 Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't
show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he
sometimes 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
Teddy's.
His present was clumsily wrapped in the 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
exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some
of the
perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just
long
enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used
to." After the children left, she cried for at least an hour.

 On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and
arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid
particular
attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, 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
and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same,
Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets.."

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

 Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then
wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was
still
the best teacher he ever had in life.

 Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while
things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with
it, and
would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured
Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had
ever had in his whole life.

 Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time
he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go
a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and
favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer....
The
letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

 The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter
that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be
married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and
he was
wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the
place
that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.

 Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that
bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made
sure she
was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on
their last Christmas together.

 They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs.
Thompson's ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for* believing in me. 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. She said,
"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."

 (For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr. at Iowa
Methodist in Des
Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)

Live Well ~ Love Much ~ Laugh Often

Because I could not stop for Death --
He kindly stopped for me --
The carriage held but just ourselves
And immortality - Emily Dickinson

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