Imagine If We Knew How Important We Were to Others
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 be-tween 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 Viet Nam 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 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.
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. Remember, you reap what you sow. What you put into the lives of others comes back into your own.
Sent to my son Ed upon receiving this forward…..
Son read this admonishment and blessed message frequently…
This is a good one. I have read it before and it always reminds me of my commitment to let everyone who comes my way remember what a very special blessing they are in my life. Let us never allow anyone we touch even for a moment to feel less than their most glorious self. I have been using “appreciation” to convey this to all I encounter for years. It is a perfect vehicle to flow unending love to everyone we encounter. Knowing how wonderful it feels to hear from someone that they think we are special, kind, smart, did a good job, or look good that day, I always go out of my way to go deliver such messages to people. I also cannot resist offering help to anyone who looks like they could use a helping hand in the moment. The Golden Rule is known and practiced in every culture throughout the world and it is sourced right from our heart of Love.
Busy though we both are dear, I am with you always feeling your heart and your mind dear as you know. Remember you are source….source of the stillness and beingness that is the loving foundation of the universe…..only love is real Ed and you already possess all the love you could ever desire in that internal place of silence…..keep returning there often throughout the day dear…it is only there that you will find your purpose and your longing which has already been fulfilled….there is nothing in the world that is real….nothing external to yourself that can challenge you ….or sustain you dear…..it is all inner beingness and your own awareness of that eternal beingness that is you, expressing as the love that you are. love me
