[TMIC] FWD: Who you are makes a difference/OT
JHarper33(AT)aol.com
Thu, 27 May 1999 23:16:19 EDT
Who You Are Makes A Difference...Read on:
>> A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her
>> seniors in high school by telling them the difference they each made.
>> Using
>> a process developed by Helice Bridges of Del Mar, California, she
called
>> each student to the front of the class, one at a time. First, she told
>> them
>> how the student made a difference to her and the class. Then she
>> presented
>> each of them with a blue ribbon imprinted with white letters which
read,
>> "Who I Am Makes a Difference."
>> Afterwards the teacher decided to do a class
>> project to see what kind of impact recognition would have on a
community.
>> She gave each of the students three more ribbons and instructed them
to
>> go
>> out and spread this acknowledgment ceremony. Then they were to follow
up
>> on
>> the results, see who honored whom and report back to the class in
about a
>> week. One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a
>nearby
>> company and honored him for helping him with his career planning. He
>gave
>> him a blue ribbon and put it on his shirt. Then he gave him two extra
>> ribbons, and said, "we're doing a class project on recognition, and
we'd
>> like you to go out, find somebody to honor, give them a blue ribbon,
>then
>> give them the extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a third
person
>to
>> keep this acknowledgment ceremony going. Then please report back to me
>and
>> tell me what happened." Later that day the junior executive went in
to
>> see
>> his boss, who had been noted by the way, as being kind of a grouchy
>> fellow.
>> He sat his boss down and he told him that he deeply admired him for
>being
>> a
>> creative genius. The boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive
>> asked
>> him if he would accept the gift of the blue ribbon and would he give
him
>> permission to put it on him. His surprised boss said, "Well, sure."
The
>> junior executive took the blue ribbon and placed it right on his
boss's
>> jacket above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said,
>> "Would you do me a favor? Would you take this extra ribbon and pass
it
>on
>> by honoring somebody else? The young boy who first gave me the
ribbons
>is
>> doing a project in school and we want to keep this recognition
ceremony
>> going and find out how it affects people."
>> That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old
>> son and sat him down. He said, "The most incredible thing happened
to
>me
>> today. I was in my office and one of the junior executives came in and
>> told
>> me he admired me and gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative
genius.
>> Imagine. He thinks I'm a creative genius. Then he put this blue
ribbon
>> that
>> says 'Who I Am Makes A difference' on my jacket above my heart. He
gave
>> me
>> an extra ribbon and asked me to find somebody else to honor. As I was
>> driving home tonight, I started thinking about whom I would honor
with
>> this
>> ribbon and I thought about you. I want to honor you. "My days are
really
>> hectic and when I come home I don't pay a lot of attention to you.
>> Sometimes I scream at you for not getting good enough grades in
school
>> and
>> for your bedroom being a mess but somehow tonight, I just wanted to
sit
>> here and, well, just let you know that you do make a difference to
me.
>> Besides your mother, you are the most important person in my life.
You're
>> a
>> great kid and I love you! "The startled boy started to sob and sob,
and
>> he
>> couldn't stop crying. His whole body shook. He looked up at his
father
>> and
>> said through his tears, "I was planning on committing suicide, Dad,
>> because
>> I didn't think you loved me. Now I don't need to." WHO I AM MAKES A
>> DIFFERENCE BECAUSE I AM A PERSON WITH A HEART, AND FEELINGS AND WITH A
>> NEED
>> TO BE ACCEPTED.
>> If you have anyone who means a lot to you, I
>> encourage you to send them this message and let them know. You never
know
>> what kind of difference a little encouragement can make to a person.