An Anecdote: “A $100 Worth of Your Time, Please!”

SON: “Daddy, may I ask you a question?”
DAD: “Yeah sure, what is it, son?”
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 some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work so hard everyday for this childish behavior.”

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy’s questions. “How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?”

After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: “Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $50 and he really didn’t ask for money very often.” The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door.

DAD: “Are you asleep now, 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 real vexation on you. Here’s the $50 you asked for.”

The little boy sat straight up, smiling.

SON: “Oh, thank you daddy!”

Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man saw that the boy already had money, 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 he begged for his forgiveness.

This story is just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. You should not let time slip through your fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to you, or those close to your hearts. When was the last time you shared that $100 worth of your time with someone you love? If you die tomorrow, the company that you are working for could easily replace you in a matter of days. But the family and friends you leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it. You pour so much more of your time into your work than to your family.

There are others who are also as important as our work, if not more.