The week of April 5th I spoke to Karen Acres, Valerius, and Olmsted Elementary in the Urbandale school district. And then on Friday, April 9th I spoke to the students at Woodward-Granger.

During my speech at Olmsted, I called on a handful of students to share their dreams with their fellow students. After my presentation to the K-2 students at Olmsted a few of the students had been disappointed because I hadn't called on them to share their dreams. Once I answered the students' questions I offered the handful of students their opportunity to share their dream with me saying, "If you want to share your dream with me, I'll stay and you can whisper your dream in my ear."

A young girl with her front baby teeth missing was the first to whisper in my ear that she wanted to care for sick animals. Then another young girl confessed that she wished her dog would stop biting her. Then a young boy said that he'd like to be an army soldier and another girl wanted a thousand bucks. I glanced up and to my surprise saw a line of forty students patiently waiting to whisper in my ear their dream. On the one hand I felt like Santa Claus doling out promises of Christmas wishes and yet on the other hand I suddenly realized that I was being offered a gift more precious than a little girl's wish of a doll baby or a young boy's hope for a new bicycle. What these children were secretly confessing in my ear was that one chance when the world seemed to stop and would appreciate their unique gift if only briefly for a few precious seconds.

I am now approaching 100,000 students that I have spoken to. Once a student asked me if I ever get tired of speaking to a roomful of kids. I told him no because I speak to each each child and each child is unique. The joy I receive is when I look into a child's eyes I can see their special gift sparkling in their eyes. How could anyone get tired of that?