"Who You Are Makes a Difference"

A teacher decided to honor each of the students in her class by telling them the difference each of them had made. She called each to the front of the room one at a time. With each she began by describing how the student had made a difference to her, and to the class. Then she presented the student with a blue ribbon, on which was printed in gold letters: "Who I Am Makes a Difference." When she had done this with every student, the teacher told the class about their next project, to see what kind of impact the spreading of such recognition would have on their community.  She gave each of the students three more blue ribbons, and instructed everyone to make this acknowledgment ceremony extend to the people they choose. She an instruction to make a record of the results -- who honored whom -- and to bring this report to the classroom the following week.

One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive at a nearby company, and honored him for helping that boy to plan his career. He gave the man a blue ribbon, and pinned it to his shirt. Then he gave the man two extra ribbons and said, "We're doing a class project about showing recognition, and we'd like you to choose someone to honor, give that person a blue ribbon, and ask him or her to take another blue ribbon with which to acknowledge a third person. Then please report back to me and tell me what happened."

Later that day, the junior executive went to see his boss, who was generally considered, by the way, to be a rather grouchy guy. He admitted to his boss that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The boss was surprised, and all the more so when the junior executive asked him if he would accept a blue ribbon. "Would you give me permission to put it on you?" the younger man asked. "Well, sure," said the boss. So the junior executive took the blue ribbon and pinned it to his boss's jacket, right over his heart. Then the younger man handed his boss the last extra ribbon, saying, "Please take this one and honor someone you feel is deserving. The boy who first gave me these ribbons is doing a project in school, and wishes to extend this recognition activity, and then 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 admires me. He gave me a blue ribbon for being a creative genius. Imagine how startled I was! Then he pinned this blue ribbon to my chest. It says, 'Who I Am Makes a Difference.'  He gave me an extra ribbon and asked me to find someone else to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I started thinking about who I'd honor with this ribbon, and I settled on you. I want to honor you, son. My days are really hectic and when I come home, I don't spend as much time with you as I should. I’ve screamed at you to get better grades in school, and to clean up your bedroom. But tonight, I just want to sit here and, well, just let you know that you 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 began to sob. 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'd killed myself, and I asked you to forgive me. I was going to commit suicide tonight once 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 boss went back to work a changed man. He was never again a grouch, and he often let his employees know that each makes a difference to him.

The junior executive helped several other young people to plan their careers, and never forgot to let them know that each had made a difference in his life... one of those young fellows was the boss's son.

The students in that classroom learned a valuable lesson indeed: "Who you are DOES make a difference."

Now I'm passing the blue ribbon to you, for who YOU are makes a difference, too.

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