you make a difference

[jrobie79]

in our world of being degenerates, im not assuming anyone is, i know i am but this might make you smile and realize that everyone is worth something......

A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors in
High School by telling them the difference
each of them had made. She called each student to the front of
the class, one at a time.
First, she told each of them how they had mad e a difference to
her, and the class. Then she presented
each of them with a blue ribbon, imprinted with gold 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 blue 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
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 for 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 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 f or being a creative genius.
Imagine! He thinks I am a creative genius! Then he put a 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 who I
would honor with this ribbon, and I thought about you. I want to honor
you. My days are hectic and when I come home, I do not 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. 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 could no t stop
crying His whole body shook. He looked up at his father and said
through his tears, "Dad, earlier tonight I sat in my room and wrote a
letter to you and Mom, explaining why I had took my life, and I asked
you to forgive me. I was going to commit suicide tonight after you
were asleep. I just did not think that you cared at all. The letter is
upstairs. I don't think I need it after all." His father walked
upstairs and found a heartfelt letter full of anguish an d pain.

The boss went back to work a changed man. He was no longer a
grouch, but made sure to let all of his employees know that they made
a difference. The junior executive helped several other young people
with career planning , and never forgot to let them know that they made
a difference in his life...one being the boss' son. In addition, th e
young boy and his classmates learned a valuable lesson, "Who you are
DOES make a difference".