Value of Life: A Lesson from a Father to Son

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16 Mar 2024

Its just matter of one day. The father saw that his son was sitting silently in the lawn of the house. He went to his son and asked him, “Son, what is the matter? Why are you sitting silently?”

"I'm thinking of something, Papa." The son replied.

“May I also know what you are thinking?” Father said.

“I am thinking, Papa, what is the value of my life?”

The father smiled and said, “Okay, that's it.” If you really want to understand the value of your life, do as I say.”

Son is ready.

The father gave him a stone, which was ordinary in appearance and said, “Son, take this stone to the market. Sit somewhere there with this stone in your hand. If someone asks its price, there is nothing to say. Just put up your two fingers.”

The son went to the market and sat at a place with a stone given by his father in his hand. He had been sitting there for some time when an old woman came to him and asked, “Son, what is the price of this stone?”

The boy did not say anything, just raised his two fingers as per his father's instructions.

“Ok 200 rupees. Ok I am ready to buy this stone for Rs 200. Give me this stone.” The old woman said.

The boy was surprised to hear what the old woman said. He had no idea that someone could pay even Rs 200 for a simple looking stone. Well, he did not sell that stone and came home.

After coming home he told everything to his father. Then the father said to him, “This time you go to a museum. There too, if someone asks you the price of this stone, then like before, raise two fingers.”

The boy took the stone to the museum. There a man saw the stone in his hand and asked, “What is its price?”

The boy did not say anything. Just put up my two fingers.

“Okay, Rs 20,000. Okay, I will buy it from you for Rs 20,000.” The man said.

The boy was surprised to hear this. He could not believe that someone could even give Rs 20,000 for that stone. He refused to sell the stone and came home. There he told everything to his father.

Then the father said, “Now I am sending you to the last place. Now take this stone and go to any precious stone shop and if someone there asks you its price, then do not say anything. Just put up two fingers like before.”

The boy immediately reached a shop of precious stones. Seeing the stone in his hand, the shopkeeper immediately came to him and said, “Hey, how come you have this stone? I have been searching for this for years. Give me this stone. Tell me, what price will you charge for it?”

The boy raised his two fingers without saying anything.

"Good! Rs 2,00,000. Okay, I will buy this stone from you right now by giving you Rs 2,00,200.” The man said.

The boy's eyes widened with surprise after hearing Rs 2,00,000. This price was beyond his imagination. Well, he did not sell that stone and came home.

After reaching home, he told his father, “Papa, I can't believe that someone is ready to pay even Rs 2,00,000 for this stone. Papa, what kind of stone is this? Someone wants to buy it for Rs 200, someone wants to buy it for Rs 20,000. What's more, people are ready to buy it even for Rs 2,00,000. After all, what is its price?”

The father explained to his son and said, “Son, you asked me the value of your life, right? Put your life in place of this stone and estimate the value of your life. The price of this stone was different at different places. Same is the case with life also. The value of your life depends on where you place yourself. If you put yourself in a place worth Rs 200, your life is worth Rs 200. If you put yourself in a position worth Rs 2,00,000, then your life is worth Rs 2,00,000. Now it is up to you to decide where you position yourself.”

Lesson

People evaluate us and life differently. We are everything for those who love us and consider us their own. But for those who just want to use us, take advantage of us, we are nothing. In fact life is priceless, understand its importance.