Seeing and saying the good in others is important. The story below speaks to
that.
It is so easy to focus on other people's shortcomings and criticize them.
Have you given a thought to what always trying to see the good in people can
do?
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ALL GOOD THINGS

He was in the first third grade class I taught at Saint Mary's School in
Morris, Minn.  All 34 of my students were dear to me, but Mark Eklund was
one
in a million.  Very neat in appearance, but had that  happy-to-be-alive
attitude that made even his occasional mischievousness delightful.  Mark
talked incessantly.  I had to remind him again and again that talking
without
permission was not acceptable.  What impressed me so much, though, was his
sincere response everytime I had to correct him for misbehaving - +ACI-Thank you
for correcting me, Sister+ACEAIg- didn't know what to make of it at first,  but
before long I became accustomed to hearing it many times a day.

One morning my patience was growing thin when Mark talked once too often,
and
then I made a novice-teacher's mistake.  I looked at Mark and said, +ACI-If you
say one more word, I am going to tape your mouth shut+ACEAIg- It wasn't ten
seconds
later when Chuck blurted out, +ACI-Mark is talking again.+ACI- I hadn't asked any of
the students to help me watch Mark, but since I had stated the punishment in
front of the class, I had to act on it.  I remember the scene as if it had
occurred this morning.  I walked to my desk, very deliberately opened by
drawer and took out a roll of masking tape.  Without saying a word, I
proceeded to Mark's desk, tore off two pieces of tape and made a big X with
them over his mouth.  I then returned to the front of the room.   As I
glanced
at Mark to see how he was doing, he winked at me. That did it+ACEAIQ-  I started
laughing.  The class cheered as I walked back  to Mark's desk, removed the
tape, and shrugged my shoulders. His first words were, +ACI-Thank you for
correcting me, Sister.+ACI-

At the end of the year, I was asked to teach junior-high math.  The years
flew
by, and before I knew it Mark was in my classroom again.  He was more
handsome
than ever and just as polite.
Since he had to listen carefully to my instruction in the +ACI-new math,+ACI- he did
not talk as much in ninth grade as he had in third.  One Friday, things just
didn't feel right.  We had worked hard on a new concept all week, and sensed
that the students were frowning, frustrated with themselves -and edgy with
one
another.  I had to stop this crankiness before it got out of hand.  So I
asked
them to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of
paper, leaving a space between each name.  Then I 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 me the papers.  Charlie smiled.
Mark said, +ACI-Thank you for teaching me, Sister.  Have a good weekend.+ACI-

That Saturday, I wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of
paper, and I listed what everyone else had said about that individual. On
Monday I gave each student his or her list.  Before long, the entire class
was
smiling.  +ACI-Really?+ACI-  I heard whispered.  +ACI-I never knew that meant anything
to
anyone+ACEAIg-  +ACI-I didn't know others liked me so much.+ACI-  No one ever mentioned
those papers in class again.  I 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 again.
That group of students moved on.

Several years later, after I returned from vacation, my parents met me at
the
airport.  As we were driving home, Mother asked me the usual questions about
the trip -the weather, my experiences in general. There was a lull in the
conversation.  Mother gave Dad a side-ways glance and simply says, +ACI-Dad?+ACI- My
father cleared his throat as he usually did before something important.

+ACI-The Eklunds called last night,+ACI- he began. +ACI-Really?+ACI- I said.  +ACI-I haven't
heard from them in years.   I wonder how Mark is.+ACI-  Dad responded quietly.
+ACI-Mark was killed in Vietnam,+ACI- he said.  +ACI-The
funeral is tomorrow, and his parents would like it if you could attend.+ACI-  To
this day I can still point to the exact spot on I-494 where Dad told me
about
Mark.

I had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before.  Mark looked so
handsome, so mature.  All I could think at that moment was, Mark I would
give
all the masking tape in the world if only you would talk to me.

The church was packed with Mark's friends.  Chuck's sister sang +ACI-The Battle
Hymn of the Republic.+ACI-  Why did it have to rain on the day of the funeral?
It
was difficult enough at the graveside. The pastor said the usual prayers,
and
the bugler played taps.  One by one those who loved Mark took a last walk by
the coffin and sprinkled it with holy water.

I was the last one to bless the coffin.  As I stood there, one of the
soldiers
who acted as pallbearer came up to me.  +ACI-Were you Mark's math teacher?+ACI- he
asked.  I nodded as I continued to stare at the coffin.  +ACI-Mark talked about
you a lot,+ACI- he said.  After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates
headed to Chuck's farmhouse for lunch. Mark's mother and father were there,
obviously waiting for me. +ACI-We want to show you something,+ACI-  his father said,
taking a wallet out of his pocket.  +ACI-They found this on Mark when he was
killed. We thought you might recognize it.+ACI-  Opening the billfold, he
carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been
taped, folded and refolded many times.  I knew without looking that the
papers
were the ones on which I had listed all the good things each of Mark's
classmates had said about him. +ACI-Thank you so much for doing that,+ACI- Mark's
mother said.

+ACI-As youcan see, Mark treasured it.+ACI-

Mark's classmates started to gather around us.  Charlie smiled rather
sheepishly and said, +ACI-I still have my list.  It's in the top drawer of my
desk
at home.+ACI- Chuck's wife said, +ACI-Chuck asked me to put  his in our wedding
album.+ACI- +ACI-I have mine too,+ACI- Marilyn said.  +ACI-It's in my diary.+ACI-  Then Vicki,
another classmate, reached into her pocketbook,  took out her wallet and
showed her worn and frazzled list to the group.  +ACI-I carry this with me at
all
times,+ACI- Vicki said without batting an eyelash.  +ACI-I think we all saved our
lists.+ACI-

That's when I finally sat down and cried.  I cried for Mark and for all his
friends who would never see him again.

THE END

Written by:  Sister Helen P. Mrosla

The purpose of this letter is to encourage everyone to compliment the people
you love and care about.  We often tend to forget the importance  of showing
our affections and love.  Sometimes the smallest of things, could  mean the
most to another.  I am asking you, to please send this letter around and
spread the message and encouragement, to express your love and caring by
complimenting and being open with communication.  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, I beg of you, to
tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important.
Tell them, before it is too late.