I AM Special

I found this on facebook yesterday and had to share it with my readers.  You see there was once a time in my life....and it still rears its ugly head from time to time that I did not feel special.  Even as a child my dad would tell me how special I was....but the world told me I was not.  As a teacher I know that there are many students in my classroom year after year who do not thing they are special either.  I wish sometimes I could tell them my story and help them realize just how special they are.  Anyways, enough of my rambling for this morning.  I know you are dying to read the story.
A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked. "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you - but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the 20 dollar note up. He then asked. "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air.  "Well," he replied, "what if I do this?" He dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.  "My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless; but no matter what happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.  Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who love you.{You are still priceless to God above all others. The worth of our lives comes, not in what we do or who we know, but by ...WHO WE ARE.  You are special - don't ever forget it."