"Who you are makes a difference"
"Who you are makes a difference"
A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors in High School by telling them the 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 blue 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 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 for 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 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 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 am a creative genius! Then he put a 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 hectic and when I come home, I do not 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. 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 could not 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 took my life, and I asked you to forgive me. I was going to commit suicide tonight after you were asleep. I just did not 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 no longer a grouch, but made sure to let all of 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' son. In addition, the young boy and his classmates learned a valuable lesson, "Who you are DOES make a difference".
You are under no obligation to pass this on to anyone.... not to two people, or to two hundred. As far as I am concerned, you can forget it and move on. On the other hand, if you want, you could send it to all of the people who mean something to you, or send it to the one, two, or three people who mean the most.
Or just smile and know that I think that you are important, or you would not have received this in the first place. Who you are does make a difference, and I wanted you to know that. Isn't this a wonderful story?
I'm passing the blue ribbon to you, for who YOU are does make a difference, too.
May God Bless You and Yours!
Another Blue Ribbon Story:
"Brad went to acknowledge his Pastor and his wife, affectionately known as Momma Nan. Momma Nan was very ill at the time Brad presented her with her first Blue Ribbon. The acknowledgement touched her so deeply that she requested, when her time came, that everyone at her funeral receive a Blue Ribbon. Shortly thereafter, Momma Nan passed on. As she was laid to rest, everyone turned to a person next to them and placed a Blue Ribbon just above Momma Nan's Warriors their heart."
Keith continued, "We were all so moved by this very special acknowledgement, that we'd like you, as the originator, to be the keynote speaker at our awards banquet in a few months. I'll set up a luncheon meeting prior to the banquet, so that you can meet PastorT, who is anxious to tell you his story."
I was moved by what I had heard and immediately agreed to fly to Fresno. When I arrived, the first thing I saw was a man with a sign that said, "Welcome to Fresno, Helice Bridges. Who You Are Makes a Difference!" I was touched by the extra ordinary acknowledgement. He walked over to me and introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Brad and I've been pinning your Blue Ribbons on people all over Fresno."
After a short ride, Brad and I entered an elegant restaurant, where Pastor T, Steve and Bubba enthusiastically greeted me. Pastor T had brought a large portrait of his wife, Nan, which was proudly displayed at our table. He began, "I wanted everyone here to meet you today. There was quite a story behind how Momma Nan declared her wish for a Blue Ribbon Ceremony at her funeral. Brad, why don't you begin telling Helice what happened."
"It was at our corporate training session in Stockton when I first heard your story and received my Blue Ribbon," Brad said. "The experience was so powerful that I decided to include the story and ceremony in all our Fresno training sessions." Steve piped in, "When I heard Brad tell your story, I immediately knew that I had to give a Blue Ribbon to my wife. You see, I've been working 16 to 18 hours a day. I get home very late and don't have much time to spend with her. She's diabetic and has been getting worse. By the time I get home, I'm wiped out and don't have the patience to give her the attention she deserves. That's all changed now.
"After Brad's training session, I came home, sat beside my wife and acknowledged her with the Blue Ribbon. I told her how very much I loved and cared for her. I said that I realize how difficult it must be when I'm not around to help. We spoke for a very long time and talked about how to cherish the time we do have together. I've even been coming home from work earlier for the past month. To tell you the truth, that Blue Ribbon Ceremony saved our marriage.
"But I didn't stop there. I decided it was time for me to also mend the relationship with my father. Actually, we hadn't spoken in over five years. I called him, and to my surprise, he accepted my invitation to have breakfast together. For days, I rehearsed what I would say to him and how I would present the Blue Ribbon. I imagined the good that could come out of it. Boy, was I ever nervous.
"As soon as we ordered breakfast, I took out a Blue Ribbon and just went for it. I thought it would be difficult, but was surprised at how words of appreciation sprang from my lips. He listened intently as I told him how sorry I was for giving him a hard time. The more I spoke, the more his eyes welled up with tears. My father never cried. Finally, I placed the Blue Ribbon above his heart. By then we were both sobbing. My father actually reached out and gave me a giant hug!
"Your Who I Am Makes A Difference story really hit a cord inside of me. The father in that story reminded me of myself. He only focused on what his son was doing wrong. I realized that I was doing the same thing to both my wife and Dad. When I read the story, it really opened up my eyes. Now every day, life is different at work and at home. I now acknowledge people openly and sincerely. I'm always so amazed at what a difference it makes. I'm truly a changed person!
"And I was on such a great roll, that I couldn't wait to acknowledge my friend Bubba." I turned away from Steve for a moment to look at Bubba. He was a 350-pound man with a kind and gentle face.
Steve continued, "I decided to acknowledge my friend Bubba and give him a Blue Ribbon." Bubba immediately jumped in. "That's when everything started to change for me. First of all, I used to rattle when I walked because of all the guns I carried on me. Just a few years back, I flew drugs into Florida from South America. Ever since I've moved here, Pastor T has been determined to show me another way. For the past two years, he's been praying me into his church. I couldn't figure out why he wanted to put so much attention on a loser like me. Believe it or not, I've been more afraid of Pastor T's love than of getting shot!
"Pastor T had his own arsenal of warriors and my friend, Steve, was part of his tribe. The day Steve acknowledged me and told me how much I made a difference, I couldn't believe my ears. I couldn't believe that I had ever made a difference to anybody, ever in my life. I was only into surviving. But Steve and Pastor T were so sincere; I felt I really did make a difference.
"Knowing what an impact that little Blue Ribbon had on me, I thought that, just maybe, it could help the guys that were in the gangs. They did what they did just to feel important. These kids kill one another every day over nothing more than a Twinkie. They absolutely don't feel that they make a difference at all.
"I decided to gather up these throw-away kids and direct them into Pastor T's church. There ain't none of them tough enough to mess with me. When they came, I read your story to them. Then I passed out Blue Ribbons to every kid and gave them a chance to acknowledge one another. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. In fact, a week later, kids, from different gangs, actually sat down and had dinner together. You can't imagine how miraculous a sight that was.
"These are hard nosed kids who don't appear to have any feelings. And yet, today, only two months after we first met at the church, 37 of the 42 kids that were at that church meeting are either back in school or have full time jobs."
Pastor T added, "These are the same kids who started to visit Momma Nan during her last days. They all insisted that they wanted to come to her bedside and pray for her because she had always made such a difference in their lives. There wasn't much room in our bedroom, but it didn't matter to those kids. Each day they would pile in, get down on their knees and pray. They did that right up until the day she passed on. It was because of what these kids did that Momma Nan requested your Blue Ribbons at her funeral.
"I have always known that the miracle of love could touch anyone or anything," Pastor T continued. "We now have living proof. The simple act of unconditional love reaches deep into the soul, healing the unseen wounds of even the greatest warriors."
From Mary Robinson Reynolds
pg 93 http://www.makeadifference.com/Who_I_Am
A teacher in New York decided to honor each of her seniors in High School by telling them the 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 blue 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 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 for 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 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 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 am a creative genius! Then he put a 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 hectic and when I come home, I do not 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. 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 could not 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 took my life, and I asked you to forgive me. I was going to commit suicide tonight after you were asleep. I just did not 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 no longer a grouch, but made sure to let all of 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' son. In addition, the young boy and his classmates learned a valuable lesson, "Who you are DOES make a difference".
You are under no obligation to pass this on to anyone.... not to two people, or to two hundred. As far as I am concerned, you can forget it and move on. On the other hand, if you want, you could send it to all of the people who mean something to you, or send it to the one, two, or three people who mean the most.
Or just smile and know that I think that you are important, or you would not have received this in the first place. Who you are does make a difference, and I wanted you to know that. Isn't this a wonderful story?
I'm passing the blue ribbon to you, for who YOU are does make a difference, too.
May God Bless You and Yours!
Another Blue Ribbon Story:
"Brad went to acknowledge his Pastor and his wife, affectionately known as Momma Nan. Momma Nan was very ill at the time Brad presented her with her first Blue Ribbon. The acknowledgement touched her so deeply that she requested, when her time came, that everyone at her funeral receive a Blue Ribbon. Shortly thereafter, Momma Nan passed on. As she was laid to rest, everyone turned to a person next to them and placed a Blue Ribbon just above Momma Nan's Warriors their heart."
Keith continued, "We were all so moved by this very special acknowledgement, that we'd like you, as the originator, to be the keynote speaker at our awards banquet in a few months. I'll set up a luncheon meeting prior to the banquet, so that you can meet PastorT, who is anxious to tell you his story."
I was moved by what I had heard and immediately agreed to fly to Fresno. When I arrived, the first thing I saw was a man with a sign that said, "Welcome to Fresno, Helice Bridges. Who You Are Makes a Difference!" I was touched by the extra ordinary acknowledgement. He walked over to me and introduced himself, "Hi, I'm Brad and I've been pinning your Blue Ribbons on people all over Fresno."
After a short ride, Brad and I entered an elegant restaurant, where Pastor T, Steve and Bubba enthusiastically greeted me. Pastor T had brought a large portrait of his wife, Nan, which was proudly displayed at our table. He began, "I wanted everyone here to meet you today. There was quite a story behind how Momma Nan declared her wish for a Blue Ribbon Ceremony at her funeral. Brad, why don't you begin telling Helice what happened."
"It was at our corporate training session in Stockton when I first heard your story and received my Blue Ribbon," Brad said. "The experience was so powerful that I decided to include the story and ceremony in all our Fresno training sessions." Steve piped in, "When I heard Brad tell your story, I immediately knew that I had to give a Blue Ribbon to my wife. You see, I've been working 16 to 18 hours a day. I get home very late and don't have much time to spend with her. She's diabetic and has been getting worse. By the time I get home, I'm wiped out and don't have the patience to give her the attention she deserves. That's all changed now.
"After Brad's training session, I came home, sat beside my wife and acknowledged her with the Blue Ribbon. I told her how very much I loved and cared for her. I said that I realize how difficult it must be when I'm not around to help. We spoke for a very long time and talked about how to cherish the time we do have together. I've even been coming home from work earlier for the past month. To tell you the truth, that Blue Ribbon Ceremony saved our marriage.
"But I didn't stop there. I decided it was time for me to also mend the relationship with my father. Actually, we hadn't spoken in over five years. I called him, and to my surprise, he accepted my invitation to have breakfast together. For days, I rehearsed what I would say to him and how I would present the Blue Ribbon. I imagined the good that could come out of it. Boy, was I ever nervous.
"As soon as we ordered breakfast, I took out a Blue Ribbon and just went for it. I thought it would be difficult, but was surprised at how words of appreciation sprang from my lips. He listened intently as I told him how sorry I was for giving him a hard time. The more I spoke, the more his eyes welled up with tears. My father never cried. Finally, I placed the Blue Ribbon above his heart. By then we were both sobbing. My father actually reached out and gave me a giant hug!
"Your Who I Am Makes A Difference story really hit a cord inside of me. The father in that story reminded me of myself. He only focused on what his son was doing wrong. I realized that I was doing the same thing to both my wife and Dad. When I read the story, it really opened up my eyes. Now every day, life is different at work and at home. I now acknowledge people openly and sincerely. I'm always so amazed at what a difference it makes. I'm truly a changed person!
"And I was on such a great roll, that I couldn't wait to acknowledge my friend Bubba." I turned away from Steve for a moment to look at Bubba. He was a 350-pound man with a kind and gentle face.
Steve continued, "I decided to acknowledge my friend Bubba and give him a Blue Ribbon." Bubba immediately jumped in. "That's when everything started to change for me. First of all, I used to rattle when I walked because of all the guns I carried on me. Just a few years back, I flew drugs into Florida from South America. Ever since I've moved here, Pastor T has been determined to show me another way. For the past two years, he's been praying me into his church. I couldn't figure out why he wanted to put so much attention on a loser like me. Believe it or not, I've been more afraid of Pastor T's love than of getting shot!
"Pastor T had his own arsenal of warriors and my friend, Steve, was part of his tribe. The day Steve acknowledged me and told me how much I made a difference, I couldn't believe my ears. I couldn't believe that I had ever made a difference to anybody, ever in my life. I was only into surviving. But Steve and Pastor T were so sincere; I felt I really did make a difference.
"Knowing what an impact that little Blue Ribbon had on me, I thought that, just maybe, it could help the guys that were in the gangs. They did what they did just to feel important. These kids kill one another every day over nothing more than a Twinkie. They absolutely don't feel that they make a difference at all.
"I decided to gather up these throw-away kids and direct them into Pastor T's church. There ain't none of them tough enough to mess with me. When they came, I read your story to them. Then I passed out Blue Ribbons to every kid and gave them a chance to acknowledge one another. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. In fact, a week later, kids, from different gangs, actually sat down and had dinner together. You can't imagine how miraculous a sight that was.
"These are hard nosed kids who don't appear to have any feelings. And yet, today, only two months after we first met at the church, 37 of the 42 kids that were at that church meeting are either back in school or have full time jobs."
Pastor T added, "These are the same kids who started to visit Momma Nan during her last days. They all insisted that they wanted to come to her bedside and pray for her because she had always made such a difference in their lives. There wasn't much room in our bedroom, but it didn't matter to those kids. Each day they would pile in, get down on their knees and pray. They did that right up until the day she passed on. It was because of what these kids did that Momma Nan requested your Blue Ribbons at her funeral.
"I have always known that the miracle of love could touch anyone or anything," Pastor T continued. "We now have living proof. The simple act of unconditional love reaches deep into the soul, healing the unseen wounds of even the greatest warriors."
From Mary Robinson Reynolds
pg 93 http://www.makeadifference.com/Who_I_Am
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