something important which i realized when i left my family for a month in order to raise money to save them and give them a decent life and secure future
an old man was busy dusting an old grandfather clock. john never understood why this old man should not have the courtesy of welcoming him into the stoire when he, john, was such a busy man and he must finish whatever he had to do in there: but what was he up there for really? he approached the old man but he seemed as much busy as john to notice that there was someone in the store. john coughed slightly and the old man finally took notice of him.
"ah," the old man said,"good for you to find time to visit my little store."
john was surprised with this opening remarks.
"excuse me, sir," john respectfully said, "but i can't remember meeting you any time before? how come you seem so familiar with me?"
the old man smiled.
"well, i must say i know just every busy person on earth. that's why i built this store, to be able to serve busy people like you and me, so that you and me could find the time to take some needed rest, or take notice of the beauty of nature, or give the most essential gift to the ones we love."
john smirked.
"you know, sir, i don't have the time for such rubbish talk. i am so busy i must go. after all i wasn't really aware why i entered this jampacked store" he said looking around.
the old man smiled again.
"i know you're really a very busy man. you even forgot how important this day is: and it is because you left home without waiting for him to wake up, and when you return home this evening he would be asleep again."
john suddenly seem to have remembered something.
"are you talking about my son?"
the old man just continued smiling.
"oh," john held his head. "it's his birthday today and i was supposed to buy him a present!"
"well," answered the old man, "you can just look around and try picking up anyone of my displays. however you can't buy them. you can just enjoy them ... with your son, and your wife of course!"
john was perplexed.
"what do you mean? you are displaying these things but you don't sell them? well, i am not really buying anyone of them, my son deserves much more than all these!"
"true enough!" answered the old man. "your son needs so much more than all of these timepieces, clocks and watches put together. you have been away for too long, you did not even notice how much he had grown, have you?"
john wanted to state he was just busy trying to give his son a secure future that is why he was working so hard.
"it's hard life without money these days, you know" he just said.
the old man nodded a little.
"but your son needs more than money, john. he needs your companionship, your presence. he misses you and he wishes that he would spend at least this day with you and his mother. if you really care for your son, you must spend more time with him and if you wish him to have a secure future, you must guide him every moment of his fragile youth. he is growing up, john, and you must not let him face the world unprepared. yes, he has a mother but a father muist complement what a mother could give to a child. he needs time, not only a timepiece, watch or clock. that is why i don't sell what i display, these are mere reminders of what man forgets to share with those they love: john, you must give, spend, share your time with your son. if you could do it with other people for your son, why not do it directly with your son."
john wanted to say so many things and defend what he has been doing. but he admittedly had no defense to say anymore, he was caught in a corner with no place to run to.
"i've been a fool," was what he was able to say.
the old man tapped his shoulder.
"it's not too late. your appintment this very moment has been cancelled due to some forces unknown" the old man winked, "and you have all the time from now on to be with your son."
john wasn't so sure why he seemed to be feeling a little unusual with the conversation. he looked around at all the timepieces, watches and clocks. everyone of them symbolized the lost times he did not spend with his son, with his family. he closed his eyes and said a little prayer asking for forgiveness why he let those times pass by without spending his life with his family.
he didn't know how long he uttered that very short prayer. and he didn't know how he was able to leave the store without lifting a foot. when he opened his eyes he was already in front of their home. and his kid was running toward him and his wife was smiling sweetly at the door.
"happy birthday, my son," john said to the boy. "i'm sorry i was not able to buy a gift."
"it's okay, father," the boy said, "at least you're here already."
john felt very relieved, very happy. yeah, he wanted to give his son a secure future. but in the process, forgot to enjoy with his son the present. before it turns into an unrecoverable past, he would from this time on enjoy each moment of his life with his family.
Words by alberto acampado
Read 1068 times
Written on 2006-02-06 at 10:01
Tags Family Gift Important
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the essential gift
john is a busy man. in fact, he is such a busy man he does not have the time for what he was doing right now. he was really in a hurry to an important appoinment when he stumbled upon this weird store which sells only timepieces, watches and clocks - if these three does not mean the very same thing. he was such a busy man he never understood why he had to enter this store, not even why he had to find it along the way to an important appointment. but he was inside now. and he really was not sure why he was there.an old man was busy dusting an old grandfather clock. john never understood why this old man should not have the courtesy of welcoming him into the stoire when he, john, was such a busy man and he must finish whatever he had to do in there: but what was he up there for really? he approached the old man but he seemed as much busy as john to notice that there was someone in the store. john coughed slightly and the old man finally took notice of him.
"ah," the old man said,"good for you to find time to visit my little store."
john was surprised with this opening remarks.
"excuse me, sir," john respectfully said, "but i can't remember meeting you any time before? how come you seem so familiar with me?"
the old man smiled.
"well, i must say i know just every busy person on earth. that's why i built this store, to be able to serve busy people like you and me, so that you and me could find the time to take some needed rest, or take notice of the beauty of nature, or give the most essential gift to the ones we love."
john smirked.
"you know, sir, i don't have the time for such rubbish talk. i am so busy i must go. after all i wasn't really aware why i entered this jampacked store" he said looking around.
the old man smiled again.
"i know you're really a very busy man. you even forgot how important this day is: and it is because you left home without waiting for him to wake up, and when you return home this evening he would be asleep again."
john suddenly seem to have remembered something.
"are you talking about my son?"
the old man just continued smiling.
"oh," john held his head. "it's his birthday today and i was supposed to buy him a present!"
"well," answered the old man, "you can just look around and try picking up anyone of my displays. however you can't buy them. you can just enjoy them ... with your son, and your wife of course!"
john was perplexed.
"what do you mean? you are displaying these things but you don't sell them? well, i am not really buying anyone of them, my son deserves much more than all these!"
"true enough!" answered the old man. "your son needs so much more than all of these timepieces, clocks and watches put together. you have been away for too long, you did not even notice how much he had grown, have you?"
john wanted to state he was just busy trying to give his son a secure future that is why he was working so hard.
"it's hard life without money these days, you know" he just said.
the old man nodded a little.
"but your son needs more than money, john. he needs your companionship, your presence. he misses you and he wishes that he would spend at least this day with you and his mother. if you really care for your son, you must spend more time with him and if you wish him to have a secure future, you must guide him every moment of his fragile youth. he is growing up, john, and you must not let him face the world unprepared. yes, he has a mother but a father muist complement what a mother could give to a child. he needs time, not only a timepiece, watch or clock. that is why i don't sell what i display, these are mere reminders of what man forgets to share with those they love: john, you must give, spend, share your time with your son. if you could do it with other people for your son, why not do it directly with your son."
john wanted to say so many things and defend what he has been doing. but he admittedly had no defense to say anymore, he was caught in a corner with no place to run to.
"i've been a fool," was what he was able to say.
the old man tapped his shoulder.
"it's not too late. your appintment this very moment has been cancelled due to some forces unknown" the old man winked, "and you have all the time from now on to be with your son."
john wasn't so sure why he seemed to be feeling a little unusual with the conversation. he looked around at all the timepieces, watches and clocks. everyone of them symbolized the lost times he did not spend with his son, with his family. he closed his eyes and said a little prayer asking for forgiveness why he let those times pass by without spending his life with his family.
he didn't know how long he uttered that very short prayer. and he didn't know how he was able to leave the store without lifting a foot. when he opened his eyes he was already in front of their home. and his kid was running toward him and his wife was smiling sweetly at the door.
"happy birthday, my son," john said to the boy. "i'm sorry i was not able to buy a gift."
"it's okay, father," the boy said, "at least you're here already."
john felt very relieved, very happy. yeah, he wanted to give his son a secure future. but in the process, forgot to enjoy with his son the present. before it turns into an unrecoverable past, he would from this time on enjoy each moment of his life with his family.
Words by alberto acampado
Read 1068 times
Written on 2006-02-06 at 10:01
Tags Family Gift Important
Save as a bookmark (requires login) Write a comment (requires login) Send as email (requires login) Print text
