SON: "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
DAD: "Yeah, sure. What is it?"
SON: "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"
DAD: "That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?"
SON: "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?"
DAD: "If you must know, I make $100 an hour."
SON: "Oh!" (with his head down)
SON: "Daddy, may I please borrow $50?"
The father was furious.
DAD: "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or something else trivial, then march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you're being so selfish. I work hard every day for this, and you act childish."
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.
The man sat down, getting even angrier about the boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions just to get money?
After about an hour, the man calmed down and started thinking: Maybe there was something the boy really needed to buy with that $50, and he didn’t ask for money very often. The man went to the boy's room and opened the door.
DAD: "Are you asleep, son?"
SON: "No, Daddy, I'm awake."
DAD: "I've been thinking. Maybe I was too hard on you earlier. It's been a long day, and I took out my frustration on you. Here's the $50 you asked for."
The little boy sat up, smiling.
SON: "Oh, thank you, Daddy!"
Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some crumpled bills. The man saw that the boy already had money and started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money and then looked up at his father.
DAD: "Why do you want more money if you already have some?"
SON: "Because I didn't have enough, but now I do.
"Daddy, I have $100 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you."
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son and begged for his forgiveness.
It's a short reminder to all of us working so hard in life: We should not let time slip through our fingers without spending it with those who truly matter to us, those close to our hearts. Remember to share that $100 worth of your time with someone you love.
If we die tomorrow, the company we work for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family and friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.
And come to think of it, we often pour ourselves more into work than into our families.
Some things are more important.
The moral is that time is more valuable than money. It teaches us that while we often focus on working hard to earn money, we should not neglect the importance of spending quality time with our loved ones. Material wealth can be replaced, but the relationships we have with family and friends are irreplaceable. Prioritizing time with those who matter most is a reminder to balance work with personal connections, as they are the true treasures in life.
