You make a difference

July 12, 2001

A Blue Ribbon Story

A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her high school seniors by

telling them what difference each of them had 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 plan his career. 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 was known

for 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 permission 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. Send this to all of the people who mean

anything important to you, or send it to the one, two, or three people who

mean the most. Or just smile and know that someone thinks that you are

important, or you wouldn't have receive this in the first place.

Remember that! I give you a blue ribbon. Who you are makes a difference,

and I wanted you to know that.

July 12, 2001