Rich Man Attends Poor Dad’s Funeral, Finds Dozens of Crying Kids He’s Never Seen Before – Story of the Day

A rich man who despised his poor father all his life attends his funeral and is filled with regret. He finds dozens of kids he's never seen before, only to learn his father was far from what he thought of him.

Darren stood in his office, gazing out the window at the sparkling skyscrapers as tears gathered in his eyes. He returned to his seat, his heart heavy, and reread the invitation on his table.

"Friends and family of Simon are cordially invited to his funeral..."

Darren hadn't seen his father, Simon, in ages. Ever since he moved out of home for university, they'd lost touch. He had cut off his connections with him.

Darren was angered that his father hadn't given him a good life. He was hurt that he'd been raised by a poor widower who took up odd jobs. Darren had never had a happy childhood like his peers, and he blamed Simon for it.

But after seeing the invitation, something inside Darren shifted. He was overcome with remorse. He had been a self-centered son and left his father alone. He had abandoned the man who had given his all to raise him.

When Darren was a little boy, Simon would hold his hands and go around their neighborhood, delivering newspapers. A newspaper hawker. That was one of the many jobs Simon did to raise Darren.

Darren would frown and ask him, "Why do you have to do this, daddy? Why don't you go to an office like the other dads?"

Simon would then say, "Because I have a little boy who'd be alone at home. Daddy is having some hard days, and he is not rich. But keep in mind, Darren, that a rich person is not one who has a lot of money. He's someone who can help others and has a big heart."

As a kid, Darren never understood what Simon meant, and when he became a teenager, he didn't want to understand Simon anymore.

As a teen, Darren had started despising Simon. He'd never forget how the kids would mock him and call him creepy because of Simon.

It so happened that one day, Simon showed up in a clown costume to pick Darren up from school. Again, that was one of the jobs Simon had to take up because he needed money.

Respect and love your parents while you can. One day, you'll regret not having them around.

When the kids realized the clown was Darren's father, they began making fun of him. "What a freak he is!" a kid told Darren. "Who comes to school dressed like that?"

"I know, right!" another kid laughed. "Your dad's a loser just like you, Darren!"

"Why did you come dressed like this, dad?" Darren asked Simon in tears. "Why are you making me look like a fool?"

"Hey, hey, I'm sorry, buddy," said Simon gently. "I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't have the time to change my clothes, so I had to come as I was. Sorry, champ."

"You can go home alone, dad," Darren had said, crying. "You no longer need to pick me up from school! I'll go home by myself from today!"

Darren had turned and walked away from his father. And Simon was hurt. Very hurt. But he didn't say anything to his son.

Instead, he ordered Darren's favorite pizza for dinner that night, and while they were eating, he suddenly went to his room and got an envelope for Darren.

Darren's eyes were wide as saucers when he found money inside it.

"That's your pocket money, son," Simon said. "You're a big boy, and dad can't go around paying for you. You need to learn how to handle money."

"That's a lot of money!" Darren said with a smile. "Wow! Thanks, dad!"

Simon smiled and took a couple of dollar bills from the boy's hand. "This is the tax that you need to leave out."

"But dad, that's—"

Darren had hardly finished what he was saying when Simon took another couple of bills from his hands. "And this is the part I need to cut for my tax."

Left with only a few dollar bills, Darren couldn't contain his anger. "What the hell, dad? Why would you take so much money? I hardly have a few dollars left!"

"I need to save this up and put it in the bank from our side, Darren. You'd thank me for it someday," he said with a smile, which irked Darren. He left the dinner table in anger and locked himself in his room.

The next day when Simon spoke to Darren, the poor father was met with a sour remark. "I want to be someone smart and have a good job, so I won't be in your shoes! I don't want to turn out like you, dad! NEVER!"

Simon nodded, hiding the tears in his eyes. "I hope you become a successful man, son," he said quietly. "I hope so too."

Every month after that, Darren received money from Simon after cutting "taxes," and the boy accepted it that way even though he had no idea where the tax money actually went.

And before he could find out, time flew by, and he moved out. Darren had bagged a scholarship to a prestigious university outside their home state, and that was the last time he saw Simon in person.

"Keep this money with you, son, and let me know if you need more anytime," Simon had said, handing Darren an envelope when he was leaving. But Darren didn't take it with him. He hid it in his room and left the house forever. He did part-time jobs to fund his college expenses but never asked his father for help.

Years later, Darren became a top lawyer at a prestigious firm and was enjoying his life. He was too busy to think about his poor old dad, whose invitations he declined for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year.

"Are you coming this year, son? Oh, it would be great to have you over!" Simon called Darren every year, hoping to hear a yes.

"I'm sorry, Dad. Perhaps next time? Bye," Darren responded and hung up.

***

On the flight to Simon's funeral, Darren couldn't help but think about those memories.

When he arrived at Simon's house, he was met with a painful silence, and he cried as he hugged his late father's photo.

"I'm sorry, dad," he sobbed. "I was a little too late. I could never love you the way you loved me. I'm sorry! Allow me to be a good son to you one last time!"

Darren arrived at Simon's funeral to bid him a respectful goodbye. However, he was not prepared for what he saw there.

He saw dozens of children mourning around his father's casket.

"Who—who are these kids?" Darren said, surprised. That's when a man with kind eyes approached him.

"You must be Mr. Davis' son! You look just like him. What a pity. He left us too soon. What a great man your father was!" he said in tears. "We can't thank you and your father enough for everything you've done for these kids. Thank you..."

Darren didn't have any clue what the man was talking about until he looked around the casket and noticed each of the kids holding a picture. A picture where his dad was smiling with the little children.

"Your father spoke highly of you and was very proud of you," the man continued. "He told us how you both saved money each month to make such a generous donation to our orphanage. A donation of $600,000 can have a significant impact on the lives of these children. So here, I've got something for you..." Darren was presented with a letter of thanks. "Please accept our heartfelt gratitude."

"This has my name on it! But the donation was made by dad! Where did he even get the money…" said Darren, then he recalled the "taxes." Simon had saved money for the needy children and made the donation.

In tears, Darren excused himself. And later that day, after the funeral, he sat with his father's photo in his arms and the old jar he'd discovered in the man's room. "Taxes," the label on it read.

Darren put a couple of bills from his wallet in there and whispered, "This is my share." Then he took out another couple of bills and sobbed as he dropped them in the jar.

"And well, this… this is from your side, dad… Oh, I'm sorry I hated you all this while… I'm so so sorry!"

Since then, Darren went on to do a lot of charity in his father's name, hoping to do at least one good thing as a son.

What can we learn from this story?

• Life is too short to hold grudges. Darren realized this when he received his father's funeral invite one day. It suddenly dawned on him that his father was gone, and he'd never be able to love and hug him.
• Respect and love your parents while you can. One day, you'll regret not having them around. If only Darren had loved his father instead of despising him, his heart would be more relieved.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a set of children who attended their mother's funeral only to see her opening her eyes in the middle of the ceremony.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.