Who YOU are

WHO I AM MAKES A DIFFERENCE

A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors
in high school by telling them the difference they each made.
She called each student to the front of the class, one at a time.

First she told each of them how they had made 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 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 back 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 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 permis sion 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 do me a favor?
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 for being a creative
genius.

Imagine. He thinks I'm a creative genius. Then he put this 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 whom I
would honor with this ribbon and I thought about you. I want to
honor you. My days are really hectic and when I come home I don't
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, but 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 couldn'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 killed myself and asking you to
forgive me.

I was going to commit suicide tonight after you were asleep. I just
didn't 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 and pain. The envelope was
addressed, "Mom and Dad! ." The boss went back to work
a changed man. He was no longer a grouch but made sure to
let all 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's son. And the
young boy and his classmates learned a valuable lesson.

Who you are DOES make a difference.

You never know what kind of difference a
little encouragement can make to a person.

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