A large woman with salt and pepper hair, and twinkling brown eyes, Mrs. Jordan, my fifth grade teacher, had a voice that boomeranged off the walls of her tiny classroom. On one sunny afternoon, she asked the class a question. I read her lips from my front-row seat and immediately raised my hand. I couldnt believe it despite my fears, I felt uncharacteristically confident because -- for once -- I was sure I had the right answer. But, when she called on me, I was suddenly afraid. Here was an opportunity to impress the powerful teacher and show her I was worthy of her love. Maybe even impress my classmates a little. I didnt want to blow it. I took a deep breath and nervously answered her question. Her explosive response startled all of us. She enthusiastically slammed her right foot on the floor and whirled her finger a full circle until it pointed directly at me. With sparkling eyes and a wide smile she cried, THATS RIGHT STEPHEN! For the first time in my young life, I felt like an instant star. My heart burst with pride as an ear-to-ear grin filled my face. I sat a little taller in my chair and puffed out my chest. My confidence soared. It was amazing how a simple three-word phrase delivered with incredible enthusiasm had totally transformed my young life. THATS RIGHT STEPHEN! All it took was three words to get me to think that I would make a place for myself in this world no matter how many obstacles I had to overcome. From that day forward, my grades and speech improved dramatically. My peers suddenly looked at me with new respect and my outlook on life did a complete turnabout. Let me ask you this: Have you taken a moment to REMEMBER who helped you in your life? |
