For some people, acquiring every material possession their heart desires is the ultimate goal in life but they fail to realize how much they really have. The following story tells the tale of a wealthy father who wanted to show his son how lucky he was by letting him experience poverty but it is the father that ended up learning a lesson.
One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the express purpose of showing him how poor people live.
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?”
“It was great, Dad.”
“Did you see how poor people live,” the father asked.
“Oh yeah,” said the son.
“So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip,” asked the father.
The son answered:
“I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them.”
The boy’s father was speechless.
Then his son added, “Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are.”
The most important things in life are family, health, and our generosity in helping others. Let’s not concentrate on what we don’t have and instead appreciate what we do have. Sometimes it takes the perspective of a child to remind us what’s important. Please share this important life lesson with your friends and family.
