A student and teacher connect over small acts of kindness that made a big difference

Transcript

Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors.

John Yang: Finally, for the holiday season, animated story from our partners at StoryCorps. In 1958, when John Cruitt’s mother died, his third grade teacher made a small act of kindness that meant a great deal to him. Decades later, he sat down with Cecile Doyle to tell her how that gesture changed his life and in the process, made a difference in her life as well.

John Cruitt: We talked about decorating the Christmas tree when I came home from school that day. But I walked into the living room and my aunt was there, and she said, well, honey, Mommy passed away this morning. And I remember at my mother’s wake, someone in my family came to me and said, Johnny, your teacher’s here.

Cecile Doyle: When I found out she died, I could certainly relate to that, because when I was 11, my own father died. And you just don’t know how you’re going to go on without that person.

John Cruitt: When I returned to school, you waited until the other children left the room at the end of the day, and you told me that you were there if I needed you. And you bent over and kissed me on the head. It was really the only time someone said to me, I know what you’re feeling, and I know what you’re missing. And I felt in a very real way that things really would be okay.

Cecile Doyle: John, I really loved you as a student, and I’m so glad that I could be there with you for that time.

John Cruitt: Many years later, when I became a teacher, I started to think more and more about you. And I started to think to myself, here I am with a memory of a teacher who changed my life. And I’ve never told her that. And that’s why I finally wrote this letter.

Dear Mrs. Doyle, if you are not the Cecile Doyle who taught English at Emerson School in Kearney, New Jersey, then I’m embarrassed and you can disregard the sentiments that follow. My name is John Cruitt, and I was in your third grade class during the 1958-1959 school year.

Two days before Christmas, my mother passed away, and you told me that you were there if I needed you. I hope life has been as kind to you as you were to me. God bless you always with great fondness, John.

Cecile Doyle: And your letter could not have come at a better time, because my husband had Parkinson’s and he was going downhill. And I had just come home from the hospital and I read this beautiful letter, and I just was overwhelmed.

John Cruitt: Well, the funny thing is, when I finally wrote to you again after 54 years, I typed a letter. I was afraid my penmanship wasn’t going to meet your standards. Well, after all this time, Mrs. Doyle, all I can say to you is thank you.

Cecile Doyle: John, what can I say? I’m just glad that we made a difference in each other’s life.