96 Crayons and a "Box of Dreams"

For young kids, school supplies can be a big deal. Pencil pouches are cool, trapper keepers are fun, and a brand new box of crayons is exhilarating. When I was a young boy, I always brought my box of 24 crayons on the first day of school, and I remember being amazed - and a little bit jealous - of my classmates who brought a box of 64 crayons (with a built in sharpener!) I remember thinking how awesome it would be to have that. Several years ago, I shared this silly childhood memory with some of my office staff. When my birthday rolled around later that year, they presented me with a box of 96 crayons (with built in sharpener) and a note about “dreams coming true.”

In a meeting with seniors that year, I told this story and encouraged them to hold on to their dreams ... even the silly ones. (There is a tradition at that school, that as seniors walk across the stage and receive their diploma, they discreetly give a gift to the principal during the handshake.) At graduation, as I presented each senior with their diploma, each graduate gave me a crayon. I will always treasure that “Box of Dreams” ... and that box of 96 crayons (with the built in sharpener) will always sit in my office as a reminder of the great colleagues I have had, and continue to have ... and as a testament to the power of dreams.