Aya, the 'little buddy' I took with me to BM '09 has a story behind him. He's a stuffed rhinoceros that came in a Burger King promotion. I was gifted him by a 2-year old boy whose father I know pretty well. We had a group of people over at the father's house for dinner...good pizza, I recall, and the little boy came running out from his room....."Daddy, Daddy, I wanna meet Rhino"........

The little tyke had heard earlier in the week that Dad's buddy "Rhino" was coming over. The young man wanted to meet me because I was Daddy's friend. And he had this little rhino toy with him.....and he wanted to give it to me because I didn't have one. I was honestly touched to the heart by this little man. I told him that he could keep his toy..........and then I hear,

"That's okay, I've got another."

His father looked at me and said, "It's all he's been talking about all week. He wanted to give the Rhino a rhino."

I accepted. The toy now occupies a place where I don't forget it, on my dashboard, to remind me daily of the power of gifting.