One day, a teacher asked her class to write down the names of all their classmates on two sheets of paper, leaving space between each name. Then, she told them to write the nicest thing they could think of about each person.
The students spent the whole class working on it, and as they left, they handed their papers to the teacher.
That weekend, the teacher took time to write each student’s name on a sheet of paper and listed all the kind words their classmates had said about them. On Monday, she gave everyone their list.
Smiles filled the room. Whispered comments like, “Really? I didn’t know anyone noticed me,” and “I didn’t know people liked me this much,” could be heard. The papers were never mentioned again in class, but the exercise had worked—every student felt seen, valued, and happier.
Years later, one of those students, Mark, was killed in Vietnam. At his funeral, the teacher came to say goodbye. She had never seen a soldier in a coffin before. Mark looked so grown up, so handsome.
The church was full of his friends and loved ones. As the teacher stood by the coffin, a soldier asked quietly, “Were you Mark’s math teacher?” She nodded. He said, “Mark talked about you all the time.”
After the funeral, Mark’s parents approached her. His father pulled out a wallet and said, “They found this on Mark when he died. We thought you’d recognize it.” Inside were two worn, taped pieces of paper—the very list of kind words his classmates had written years before.
His mother, with tears in her eyes, whispered, “Thank you. As you can see, Mark treasured it.”
One by one, Mark’s classmates gathered around. Charlie admitted, “I still have my list. It’s in my desk drawer.”
Chuck’s wife added, “He kept his in our wedding album.”
Marilyn said softly, “Mine is in my diary.”
Then Vicki pulled hers from her wallet, worn and folded from years of carrying it. She smiled, “I keep mine with me all the time.”
The teacher sat down and cried. She cried for Mark, and for all his classmates who would never see him again.
This story reminds us how easy it is to forget that life is short, and we never know when it will end. That’s why it’s so important to tell people we love them, to remind them they matter—before it’s too late.
The lesson is simple: Be kind. Speak love. Let others know they are special. What we give to others comes back to us, often in ways we could never imagine.
