Being Mindful Stories

Story · Ajahn Brahm

Can I please have one hour of your time?

As told by Ajahn Brahm in Flowing with Uncertainty | Ajahn Brahm | 23 April 2021

1 min read

The story — as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

ten dollar note and after that the little son smiled, took the ten dollar note said "thank you so much daddy", and then the son opened up the little drawer by the side of his bed and there was coins in there and he had just about enough to count out another ten dollars in coins, and together with the ten dollar note he handed it to his daddy. “Daddy here's twenty dollars, can I now have one hour of your time please

▶ Watch Ajahn Brahm tell it from 11:29 (to 12:14)

A reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

A tired father told his son he earned twenty dollars an hour. The boy emptied his piggy bank and asked to buy one hour of Daddy's time. Ajahn Brahm also recalls a Singapore teenager's suicide note asking for more time with his parents. Give your children your time. If you're in despair, contact a crisis line today.

In brief (our summary)

A tired father snaps when his six-year-old asks how much he earns per hour, then guiltily answers $20 and lends him $10. The boy adds $10 in coins from under the pillow and hands over $20: 'Daddy, can I please have one hour of your time?' Told at an Indonesian press conference, a Muslim single-mother journalist wept because it was her story.

Teaching point

What children need most is not more money but an hour of you.

When this story may help

  • working too much
  • missing your kids
  • single parenting

Themes

Source & credit

Told by Ajahn Brahm in Flowing with Uncertainty | Ajahn Brahm | 23 April 2021 · 2021-04-23 · ▶ watch from 11:29 to 12:14 · Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Caption notes: Manual (volunteer) captions; occasional misspellings kept as is.

The narrative is Ajahn Brahm's own telling, quoted from the talk captions. The summary and reflection are Being Mindful Stories's editorial notes. Please credit the teacher and link the original talk. Markdown version

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