
                "HOW WILL YOU KNOW UNLESS I TELL YOU"


COLD SPRING RAIN SPLASHED ACROSS THE WINDOW,  FURTHER LOWERING MY
SPIRITS, ALREADY DEPRESSED BY LONG CONVALECENCE FROM SURGERY.  GET WELL
CARDS
      HAD STOPPED COMING.  A FADED CHRYSANTHEMUM PLANT, A GIFT FROM
FELLOW TEACHERS WAS ALL THAT REMAINED OF THE FLOWERS I HAD RECEIVED.
I FELT LONELY, UNIMPORTANT, FORGOTTEN BY A WORLD THAT APPARANTLY WAS
DOING VERY WELL WITHOUT ME.
THEN THE MAIL ARRIVED, BRINGING A NOTE FROM A CASUAL ACQUAINTANCE, A
TEACHER I PASSED EACH MORNING ON MY WAY TO SCHOOL.  "DEAR JANE,"
SHE SAID.  "MY CLASS IS ABOUT TO BEGIN, BUT I MUST WRITE THESE FEW WORDS
BEFORE MY STUDENTS ARRIVE.  I MISSED YOUR SMILE AND YOUR WAVE THIS
MORNING, JUST AS I HAVE EVERY DAY SINCE YOU'VE BEEN ILL.  I PRAY YOU'LL
BE WELL SOON.  YOU'RE PROBABLY SURPRISED AT RECEIVING THIS NOTE, BUT THE
WORLD FOR ME IS A LESS HAPPY PLACE WITHOUT YOU, AND HOW WILL YOU KNOW
UNLESS I TELL YOU?"
SUDDENLY, THE PARALYZING SENSE OF DESPAIR SLIPPED AWAY.  SOMEONE MISSED
ME.  SOMEONE NEEDED ME, AND THAT KNOWLEDGE PROVED MORE EFFECTIVE
THAN ANY MEDICINE THE DOCTOR COULD PRESCRIBE.
I REREAD THE WORDS CAREFULLY, SAVORING EACH ONE.  THE LAST SENTENCE HELD
MY ATTENTION:  "HOW WILL YOU KNOW UNLESS I TELL YOU?"  I WOULDN'T HAVE
KNOWN OF COURSE, AND I WOULD STILL HAVE BEEN LONELY AND DEPRESSED.  HOW
CAN ANY OF US KNOW WHATS IN THE MINDS AND HEARTS OF OTHERS---UNLESS WE
RECEIVE SOME WORD, SOME GESTURE?  MOST OF US IN THIS SOPHISTICATED,
DEHUMANIZED AGE TEND TO PLACE CHECK-REINS ON OUR EMOTIONS.
WE WITHHOLD WORDS OF LOVE, ADMIRATION AND APPROVAL.  AND YET THOSE WORDS
MIGHT GIVE SOME UNHAPPY PERSON A MOMENT OF JOY OR HELP HIM COPE WITH
DEEP DESPAIR.  THEY MIGHT EVEN BECOME THE NEW BRIGHT THREADS IN THE DULL
FABRIC OF HIS LIFE.
I RECALLED THAT ON MY LAST VISIT TO THE SUPERMARKET THE MAN AHEAD
OF ME SMILED WARMLY AT THE HARRIED CHECKOUT GIRL AND COMPLIMENTED HER
FOR BAGGING HIS PURCHASES SO CAREFULLY.  SHE SEEMED STARTLED AT THIS
UNEXPECTED PRAISE, BUT HER FACE LIGHTED UP, AND THE TIRED, TENSE LINES
DISSAPEARED.  SHE THANKED HIM WARMLY, THEN TURNED TO WAIT ON ME WITH A
BRIGHT SMILE AND CHEERFUL WORD.  CHANCES ARE THAT THE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE
SHE SERVED THAT DAY CAUGHT THE GLOW AND PASSED IT ON TO OTHERS.
EVERYONE, IF HE IS TO DO HIS BEST, NEEDS TO BE NOTICED AND APPRECIATED.
A YOUNG STUDENT TEACHER I ONCE KNEW WAS ASSIGNED TO INSTRUCT SIXTH-
GRADERS FOR ONE WEEK AT A SCHOOL OUT-DOOR  CENTER.  SHE ENTHUSIASTICALLY
AND PAINSTAKINGLY PLANNED A VARITY OF EXPERIENCES FOR THESE CITY
YOUNGSTERS HOPING TO SHARE WITH THEM HER LOVE OF THE FIELDS AND WOODS.
BUT THE WEEK WAS A COMPLETE DISASTER.  IT RAINED FOUR OF THE FIVE DAYS,
AND THE CHILDRED WERE ROWDY AND UNCOOPERATIVE.  WHEN AT LAST THE
YOUNGSTERS WERE PACKING TO RETURN TO TOWN, THE TEACHER CAME TO ME IN
TEARS. " I WASN'T SURE BEFORE," SHE SAID, "BUT NOW I KNOW.  I CAN NEVER
WORK WITH CHILDREN.  I'M JUST NOT CUT OUT FOR IT."
WHAT A LOSS!  WITH JUST A  LITTLE MORE MATURITY AND EXPERIENCE, THIS
FINE, SENSITIVE YOUNG WOMAN WOULD MAKE AN OUTSTANDING TEACHER.  BUT I 
KNEW I
 IPI    COULDN'T CHANGE HER MIND.
THEN, AS THE CHILDREN SCRAMBLED ABOARD THE BUS,  ONE GIRL LINGERED
BEHIND AND, AFTER A MOMENT, SAID TO THE STUDENT TEACHER, "I WANT TO
THANK YOU FOR THIS WEEK AND FOR THE THINGS YOU TAUGHT US.  YOU KNOW,
I NEVER LISTENED TO THE WIND IN THE TREES BEFORE.  IT'S LOVELY, AND I'LL
NEVER FORGET IT.  HERE'S A POEM I WROTE FOR YOU.  I ALMOST DIDN'T GIVE
IT TO YOU."  SHE PULLED A SLIP OF PAPER FROM HER POCKET, THEN RAN TO
JOIN THE OTHERS.
AFTER READING THE FEW PENCILED LINES, THE YOUNG TEACHER LOOKED UP WITH
TEARS IN HER EYES, BUT NOW THEY WERE TEARS OF HAPPINESS.  I BREATHED A
PRAYER OF THANKS TO THIS ONE CHILD WHO HAD MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE.  I
KNEW THAT BECAUSE OF HER GESTURE COUNTLESS CHILDREN WOULD ENJOY THE
AFFECTION AND GUIDANCE OF A FINE TEACHER.
A PERSON MUST HEAR: I LOVE YOU. I'M PROUD OF YOU.  I'M GLAD YOU'RE
HERE. A SOFT VOICE, FRIENDLY EYES AND GENTLE WORDS WILL CONVEY THE
MESSAGE.
PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS, AT ALL STAGES OF SUCCESS OR FAILURE,
NEED LOVE AND RECOGNITION IN ORDER TO LIVE HAPPILY.  WE NEED THEM IN
ORDER TO DEFEAT THOSE TWO ARCH-ENEMIES OF HUMAN HAPPINESS--LONELINESS
AND INSIGNIFICANCE.
THE NOTE THAT HAD STARTED THIS TRAIN OF THOUGHT WAS STILL IN MY HAND,
AND AN IDEA WAS NOT LONG IN COMING.  I HAD A LONG-OVERDUE MESSAGE TO
DELIVER---AND WOULD DELIVER IT IN PERSON AS SOON AS I COULD.
SEVERAL MILES FROM MY HOME, AN ELDERLY FARMWIFE HAD CLEARED THE ROADSIDE
OF LITTER AND PLANTED FLOWERS IN ITS PLACE.  I NEVER PASSED BY WITHOUT
A FEELING OF JOY, A LIFTING OF THE SPIRIT THAT LINGERED THROUGH THE DAY.
SURELY THE FARMWIFE WOULD BE HAPPY TO KNOW THAT.  ""BUT HOW WOULD SHE
KNOW UNLESS I TOLD HER""?



CREDITS UNKNOWN

