One day I began to notice one of my students that always sat at the back of my sixth grade class. John French wasn=t the type of child that played with the other children. In the sixth grade, I expected most all of the children to be active and outgoing. Not Johnny! I wondered why the other children made fun of him and he would just sit there and take it.

I dropped by the records office at lunch one day and looked at his file for comments from his previous teachers....

Grade 2 - A... Johnnie is a bright boy, a lot of fun to have in class, He trues hard and does neat work.@

Grade 3 - A ... little Johnnie is quiet this year, there seems to be something bothering him. Life at home seems to trouble him.@

Grade 4 - A... John is withdrawn, quiet and not very expressive. I heard that his dad had been ill this year. This seem to be something that has been building within him for the last two months or so...@

Grade 5 A ... John is not the same as he once was. I just can=t get him to open up. His dad died this year. ...@

This last Christmas, all the children were exchanging gifts on the last day before we were to break for the holidays. On my desk I saw, among the cards and boxes, one small package, wrapped in brown paper and taped with masking tape. I carefully opened to find a beat-up old pocket watch and a small bottle half full of aftershave lotion. I saw out of the corner of my eye as I was opening the package, Johnnie was watching very intently my every move. I took the watch out and sprinkled some of the bottle=s contents on my forearm. Holding my arm up and waving it about so all could see, I said, ALook at what I=ve got.@ . I saw him proudly set up straight. I glanced at him and game a small wink. Johnnie smiled, came slowly up to the front of the room and put his hand gently on my shoulder and said into my ear, AYou smell just like my daddy.@ John became a better student the rest of that year and during the following summer, he move away.

Seven years later, I received a short note from John telling me of his graduation from high school and was preparing to go to college. Four years later, I received a card with a simple line on it saying, A... This year I graduate from college fourth in my class, Thank you - John@

Just last week I received a letter from Johnny saying . . .

AThis year I am graduating first in my class and next week I am getting married. My mother died this year and I wanted to know if you would set where my parents would have sat in the pew at my wedding@

Dr. John French M.D.

I wouldn=t miss it for the world.