June 2008
Dear Brother and Sisters in Christ,
A New York City Teacher decided to honor each of her High School Seniors
by telling them the difference that each of them had made. First, she called each individual student up to the front of the
class and told them how each of them had made a difference to her and their class. Then she presented each of them with a blue
ribbon imprinted with gold letters which read, “Who I am makes a difference!” As a follow – up, the teacher urged the students
to continue her class recognition project to see what kind of impact recognition would have on their community. She gave every
student three additional blue ribbons and instructed them to go out and spread their acknowledgement ceremony. They were to
follow up on the results and to make a report back to the class in the closing weeks of school.
One of her students went to
a junior executive in a local company and honored him for helping him with summer and school year employment and for helping him with
his career planning. He presented him with a blue ribbon and pinned it upon his shirt. He then gave him his two extra
ribbons explaining, “Our High School Class is working on a project of recognition and I wonder if you would like to go out and recognize
someone who has made a difference to you and present that person with a blue ribbon just as I did to you?” Later that same day,
the junior executive went to see his boss, who had a tough reputation of being angry and a grouch. He told him that he admired
him for being a creative genius and for inspiring him in his own work. The boss was genuinely surprised. The junior executive
asked his permission to pin a blue ribbon upon him recognizing him a person who “Makes a difference.” Astonished, the boss replied,
“Sure!” The young executive took a blue ribbon and pinned it on his boss’s jacket right above his heart. He explained
about the high school student who presented him his ribbon as part of a school project explaining that they want to see this ceremony
keep going, noting how it affects people.
He then asked, “Would you take this last ribbon and do the same so that someone else
would know, “Who I am makes a difference!”
That night the boss went home and sat down with his 14 year old son. He said,
“Today, the most incredible thing happened, I was in my office and one of my employees came in, told me that he admired me, presented
me with this ribbon and told me that I was a creative genius.” “Imagine, he thinks that I am a creative genius. Then he
put this ribbon on me that read, “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 would honor with this last ribbon and I thought about
you. Son, I want to honor you!”
“My days are hectic and when I come home I do not pay a lot of attention to you. Oh yes,
I yell at you for grades that are not good enough, or for a messy room or for unattended chores. Yet somehow, tonight, I just
want to sit down with you and to let you know that, “Who you are makes a difference!” Besides your Mother, you are the most
important person in my life and I love you so very much.”
His son began to sob, then cry, his entire body shook uncontrollably. He looked into his Father’s eyes and said through tears, “Dad, earlier tonight I sat in my room and wrote a letter to you and Mom
explaining why I was taking my life and begging for your forgiveness.” “I was going to commit suicide tonight after you and
Mom were asleep. I did not think that you cared at all.” “The letter is upstairs in my room.” “I do not think that
I will need it now.” Visibly shaking, the boys father walked upstairs found and read, filled with anguish and pain, his son’s
letter. He ran back into his son’s arms and held him as he had not held him in so long a time. At that moment, his family
life had changed. He returned to work a changed man. This seemingly simple project of recognition changed many. Remember, “Who you are makes a difference!”
Peace and Love,