One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the otherstudents in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between eachname.  Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they couldsay  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 aseparate 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 meant anything to anyone!"   "I didn'tknow others liked me so much."

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again.   She neverknew if they discussed them after class or with their parents,  butit  didn't matter.

The exercise had accomplished its purpose.   The studentswere happy with themselves and one another.    That groupof students moved on.

Several years later, one of  the students was killed in Vietnamand 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 thosewho loved him took a last walk by the coffin.    The teacherwas the last one to bless the coffin. As she stood there,  one ofthe soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her.

"Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked.  She nodded, yes.Thenhe said "Mark talked about you a lot."

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went  togetherto  a luncheon.   Mark's mother and father were there, obviouslywaiting to speak with his teacher.    "We want to show yousomething,"  his father said,taking a wallet out of his pocket.   "They found this on Mark when he was killed.   We thought youmight recognize it."

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded manytimes. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones onwhich she had listed  all the good things each of Mark's classmateshad said about him.

Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see,Mark treasured it."

Mark's classmates started to gather around us.

Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It'sin 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 outher wallet  and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. Icarry this with me at all times," Vicki said without batting an eyelash." I think we all saved our lists."

That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried.   Shecried 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 thatlife 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 specialand important.

Tell them, before it is  too late....

As one way of doing so forward this message on. Do NOT pass up the opportunityto do something loving and beautiful. If you've received this it is becausesomeone cares for you and it means there is probably at least someone forwhom you care. If you're  "too busy" to take the few minutes thatit would take right now to forward this message on, would it be the firsttime you didn't do that little thing that  would make a differencein your relationships?

MAY YOUR DAY BE AS SPECIAL AS YOU ARE!