> 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 between 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
>                      inVietNam
> 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 sa t 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.
>
>
> And One Way To Accomplish This Is: 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.
>
>
> If you've received this, it is because someone cares for you and it  
> means there is probably at least someone for whom you care.
>
>
> If you're 'too busy' to take those few minutes right now to forward  
> this message on, would this be the VERY first time you didn't do that  
> little thing that would make a difference in your relationships?