Sin Lim resents his poor father until he learns at a community gathering that his father has been secretly donating money in his name to help sick children. His father's philosophy: being rich is not about how much you have, but how much you give. Sin Lim decides to honor his father's legacy.
Chapters
I didn't like my father. He was poor and unsuccessful, despite working harder than all my friends' fathers. I didn't think he was very smart.
It's not for you.
I've never seen him as an inspiration.
Hey, what? What?
We are late for school.
Oh yeah, yeah, school. Sorry, I hurry. Here's your pocket money. Here's a bit of extra. Time to pay your taxes. This is from you. This is from me.
Why are we not rich?
Who says we are not rich? Being rich is not about how much you have, but how much you give. And somehow, when you give, you'll be happier.
I wasn't happy. I didn't want to be poor like my father when I grew up. I knew I wanted to be more successful than my father.
Call me when you need more money. Are you coming back for reunion dinner this year?
No, I'm not coming home this year. Yeah, new job here. Maybe after New Year, we'll see. Yeah, I'm really busy now. Okay, bye.
Thank you for coming, Mr. Lim. So good to finally meet you in person.
I found this letter saying that I've been donating money to the community chest. There must be a mistake.
I'll explain later. There's someone who would like to meet you. Come with me.
Thank you for coming, Mr. Lim. Your father has told us so much about you. Your father, he always makes us forget about our problems. He reminds us of our dreams and hopes. But the kids here, they all miss him. And he's the only one who can bring a smile on their faces. And I remember there's this boy, he was really depressed and he didn't go to school. Basically, he's given up on life. But your father, he reads with this boy regularly. This boy has now grown up to be a really useful person. Your father could have retired comfortably. But he chose to continue working so he can help even more people. He was a selfless man. It's just that— it's just that he didn't tell anyone about his sickness.
Sin Lim, I've been trying to reach you. This is for you, in recognition of your donations.
He asked my name, but I didn't do it.
It's your dad.
He didn't want you to know. It's from you? It's from me. On my father's birthday.
I will celebrate his life as he would have wanted it.
I could almost hear him say, "Being rich is not about how much you have, but how much you can give."
