The man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son waiting
for him at the door.

"Daddy, may I ask you a question?"

"Yeah, sure, what is it?" replied Dad.

"Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?"

"That's none of your business!  What makes you ask such a thing?" Dad said angrily.

"I just want to know.  Please tell me how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the 5 year old son.

"If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour."

"Oh," the son replied, head bowed.  Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?"

The father was furious.  "If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just
so you can borrow some 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're being selfish.  I work long,
hard hours everday and I don't have time for such childish games."

The son quietly went to his room and shut the door.  Dad sat down and started to get even
madder about his son's questioning.  "How dare he ask such questions only to get some money."

After an hour or so, the Dad calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard
on his son.

Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with the $10.00, and he really didn't ask
for money very often.  Dad went to his son's room.

"Are you asleep son?" he asked.

"No Daddy, I'm awake," replied the son.

"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said Dad.  "Its been a long day
and I took my aggravation out on you.  Here's that $10.00 you asked."

The little boy sat straight up, beaming.  "Oh, thank you Daddy!" he yelled.  Then reaching 
under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills.

Dad, since his son already has money, started to get angry again.  The son slowly counted 
out his money, then looked up at his father.

"Why did you want more money if you already have some?" the father grumbled.

"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the son replied.  "Daddy, I now have $20.00.
 Can I buy an hour of your time?"

***Share some time with someone special.***

Susan Demarco, RN
The Center for Experimental Therapeutics
The University of Pennsylvania