Relaxing (finally) this weekend and reading my facebook feed, seeing Maritess’s share, I saw this great poem passed around in the Filipino “circle of friends”, and while it is talking in Peso currency, that really isn’t the point. Its an AWESOME poem you have to read, and great for a Sunday afternoon inspiration.
Daddy, Can I Borrow 75 Pesos?
A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.
SON: ‘Daddy, may I ask you a question?’
DAD: ‘Yeah sure, what is it?’ replied the man.
SON: ‘Daddy, how much do you make an hour?’
DAD: ‘That’s none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?’ the man said angrily.
SON: ‘I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?’
DAD: ‘If you must know, I make 150 pesos an hour.’
SON: ‘Oh,’ the little boy replied, with his head down.
SON: ‘Daddy, may I please borrow 75 pesos?’
The father was furious, ‘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 don’t work hard everyday for such childish frivolity’s.’
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 75 pesos 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. ‘Are you asleep, son?’ He asked. ‘No daddy, I’m awake,’ replied the boy. ‘I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier’ said the man. ‘It’s been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here’s the 75 pesos you asked for.’ The little boy sat straight up, smiling. ‘Oh, thank you daddy!’ he yelled.
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. ‘Why do you want more money if you already have some?’ the father grumbled. ‘Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,’ the little boy replied.
‘Daddy, I have 150 pesos 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.
It’s just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts.
Do remember to share that 150 pesos worth of your time with someone you love. If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of hours… But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.
It is funny, because I am running around like a madman these days, more then ever. Am I a hypocrite? I have been so stressed….yet I blog these things. Well I do it to remind myself, not just you reading it, but MYSELF. This is my journal, and my reminder that when I type it out, I remind myself how I have to think. And its a long process, lifelong, to really PRIORITIZE life but then again, we all say “money isn’t everything” but at the same time we need it to live right? And I don’t want a life working 9-5, dependent on others. I am fighting so hard, hustling so hard, to be independent.
So then I / we say, I’ll work hard now, so I can enjoy life later. Is that right too? Then our children will not have to work, because I / we have worked so hard to build a business, but then the child doesn’t appreciate / realize / experience hard work and is lazy.
Is there a right answer. Anyway, food for thought, and this poem is awesome!
Comments 25
Dude this is a great poem, great story. Gotta spend time with the family. after all this is what we are working so hard for. its for a good life – a good life with family. very nice message.
i saw this commercial for fed ex and thought of you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GViQ87FppKo it is hilarious dude – you shouldve done something like this!!! hilarious
Author
glad you enjoyed! I saw it going around in groups of friends from the Philippines, so thought it would be cool to share with you and guys reading here.
Its true all over the world. I was talking to my friend Mirasol, and she is from the Philippines, where she has a son. She has to travel in different parts of Asia to sing (she’s a singer) to earn money for her son and the family….she was really depressed today talking to me, in China and she misses her family and hometown.
I think this story is even more common in the Philippines because its so hard to earn good money, and often ahve to be far away from home
Life isnt easy for someone! maybe most of the people in this world!
Author
spoiled Americans right 😉
touching!
Author
🙂
wow!!!!! just finished reading your blog, soooooooooo nice and i like it a lots, sure we all work hard,try to make life better and a better future,but still have to caring of the family, especially the child who you love, I remember I have watching a movie before, couldnt remember the name now, but the whole story is talking about a family,the couple was too busy with business and work stuff and they hired a nanny to take care of their son, the little boy is more closer to the nanny than the parents, so things tell us”Family first+Business second” cause if you are happy with your family and friends then you will have a good mood and a lot of energy to enjoy business! 😉 also it is Conducive to the healthy growth of children
Author
hey Wendy,
cool glad you enjoyed it……
your idea there is true, and crazy. parents work so hard for their families, and then have a nanny spend the majority of their day with them…..it seems backwards right
haha, “it seem backwards” you like to copy my word, didnt you? 😉 haha kidding! sure, life is too short to live looking backwards, when you got something then you will lose something, sometimes you earn a lots money but you might lose something imporatnt in your life and never get back again! this is life!
Author
Maybe change company name to “buy time” consulting hhaa
if i give you a dollar…… will you get the hell away from me??
Author
Typical american
Hey Mike,
I had never heard this story before…I guess the moral of the story is to keep balance in your life between your family and your work.
I remember working at the beginning of my career and having to put in all those hours to advance up the ladder – I really hated it. I always used to ask myself – is it worth it? Now, I look forward to my “quality of life” as I approach my old age (haha).
Anyway, if you have the opportunity to give your children the means for them to reach their dreams then so be it but, I think it’s the journey of getting there and not handing it to them on a silver platter that’s important.
Author
Sure, hope to not spoil my kids. Just have to wonder where to draw the line though
When is it “taking care of” and spoiling
That story got me a little – there is a fundamental wisdom in some actions of children – they’re relatively unbarred by social constructs – should find that article….
good post 🙂
Author
Which article?
Yea dude, kids are awesome….in a way I kind of agree with the theory we become “stupider” as we get older….kids just know “whats the dilly” without the extra b.s. of adults lives
Excellent! As you know we are expecting our 2nd child and these are the important bits of wisdom!
Author
Haha, so how much can your newborn baby buy you for an hour??
I really like this, very true not nly father-child but all types of relationshi……
very real……….not only to parent – child…….applies to all types of relationship…i really like to copy this and paste to all my wep profile but i don’t know how…………….but thank you……….
Author
Glad u enjoyed this nenita, you can copy paste it to ur web profile no problem
what a nice poem… i love it.. thanks
Pingback: Daddy, Can I Borrow 75 Pesos? « sanctuary of my reflections
this is an awesum poem…..
after long searches i hav got this poem atlast…….
was searching it from the day i heard it at a competition…….
but this is not like a poemm…
i wanted a poem version,to perform it at a competition…….
can i get sumthin exactly the same but juss with more of rythm and tone and ryming words