The Focus is Children; the Result is Excellence

I happened to be driving by the Children's Museum of Indianapolis yesterday. Having spent a fair amount of time at the museum when my own kids were younger, I have to say I had never seen quite so many cars parked there. The lot in front was crammed. The parking garage had the "Full" sign out. As I continued driving north on Illinois Street, several smaller lots I hadn't even noticed before were packed to the gills with cars.

An annual gift to the community is free admission on Martin Luther King Day. The museum has been doing this for years, and I quickly made the connection.

Hats off to the Children's Museum. Think about it: the museum opened its doors for free, on what is a day off for the rest of us. The museum most likely had to add extra staff, extra volunteers, extra food and a healthy dose of extra patience.

It takes very special people to dedicate their lives to children. The Children's Museum first opened its doors way back in 1925, and those people had a vision. It's the same vision I have come to learn that the founder of the Indianapolis Children's Choir has. Henry Leck has made an art out of looking past the frustrating nuances of working with children. He gives them his passion, new experiences and a place to grow, along with expectations higher than they would have given themselves. They are better people for it.

From one youth organization to another, to the Children's Museum I say, "Job well done!"