As I write my Sunday Blog on 1/12/2025 the LA Wildfires are still burning.
This morning, I read a post on social media, a story about a Teacher, a Student, and a life lesson learned. I reposted it at the bottom.
The next several weeks will be filled with stories of the devastation. We will learn of horrific loss, and we will also hear stories of heroes. We will learn of acts of generosity, compassion and the best of humanity. There will be conversations about climate change, and politics, and blame. There will be plenty of time to analyze what can be done (now) what should have been done, what is simply 'God's Will' vs. human error.
The one thing that I am thinking about (today) is what it must be like to lose a home. Not just the structure, but the contents. The photographs, the documents, the possessions. You home is the vessel of your life. Home ownership has been a part of the American Dream for many generations. "I don't have much but at least I have a roof over my head" is a phrase that we have all heard our entire lives.
Why is having a roof over your head important?
That's what a roof does – it shelters us. It shelters and protects us. It keeps us safe and comfortable. It allows us to live in artificial like conditions – where we control the temperature, the humidity, the sound and wind.
There were homes lost in the fire that were worth millions. Tens of millions. Because LA County is the home of many Hollywood Rich and Famous, there are many very famous people who lost their homes. Some had homes on the water, some in the hills. Some owned homes that were in their families for many generations. Others had multimillion dollar mansions reduced to their foundations. But if an ember from the fires landed on your roof - any roof - your home could be reduced to ash. The fire did not discriminate rich from poor. Famous person from average person.
I saw that some homes were saved due to technology. Water sprinkler systems that would keep a constant flow of water on the roof and on the surrounding property. So there were some homes that were saved while all of the other homes in the neighborhood were reduced to rubble. It will take me a few days to process this. Is that a victory against Mother Nature, to use technology to save a single home, when the rest of the homes in the neighborhood are decimated? What did you actually save? And you cannot do that for EVERY home - California was already in a drought.
You can rebuild homes that are earthquake resistant, fire resistant, hurricane resistant. But you cannot do that for everyone. Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the United States, with 9,663,345 residents estimated in 2023. Its population is greater than that of 40 individual U.S. states. It was the entire COUNTY that was impacted. Not certain homes, not certain families. It will be very interesting to see what happens next, as the Insurance Industry will probably have a big role in the future of where people live, and who can afford to live there.
AS I WRITE THIS, I just saw a TV commercial for Legacy Box (www.LegacyBox.com) I am wondering if they just increased their ad spend in the past week. I myself own MyBackupData.com which deals with disaster recovery, business continuity, cybersecurity and safely securing media for business clients. Personally, I feel that no one wants to be reminded of what they SHOULD have done, as they walk amongst the rubble of their devastated home or business. This is not the time for "I told you so" marketing.
For me, personally, I feel like Mrs. Thompson in the story below. If someone that I know did not properly protect their business, if they did not safely secure their data, if they were exposed to risk - that is not their fault. Ultimately it is mine. I know the result of not securing data. I now the statistics of how a business cannot survive a catastrophic loss of data. Ultimately I did not do my job if they are not protected. I did not teach them what they needed to learn.
In the story below, Mrs. Thompson had an epiphany with Teddy. With teaching. With life itself. If you are in a position to help someone, just do it. You never know what the future holds. Pay it forward. Teach everything you know.
If you were impacted email LA_Wildfires@MTP-USA.com - when and where we can help you we shall do so. No charge.
*****
As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.
Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant.
It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.
At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.
Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners... he is a joy to be around.."
His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."
His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."
Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class."
By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to." After the children left, she cried for at least an hour.
On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."
A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.
Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in life.
Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had ever had in his whole life.
Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer.... The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.
The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.
Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.
They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."
(For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr. at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)
Warm someone's heart today. . . pass this along. I love this story so very much, I cry every time I read it. Just try to make a difference in someone's life today? tomorrow? Just "do it". Random acts of kindness, I think they call it?
"Believe in Angels, then return the favor."
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