Buying birthday presents for some people isn’t always easy. Not because they are hard to please but because they seem to have “everything” already. Do they really need more stuff to be added to their rooms?
When the vice president of my previous company came to visit our team from the Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore, we all wanted to put our best foot forward and make a good impression. During his short stay in Sydney, one day he came to our area and asked some of us: Tell me what gift should I buy for my mum’s birthday?
It was a question that left many of us scratching our heads. There was a long pause before we started to give out our well-thought of answers among us. It did feel like a competition. Everyone thought their idea was the most brilliant, the smartest, everyone wanted to look good in front of the big boss. Who came out on top at the end?
One by one, none of us seemed to be able to come up with something good enough to be taken seriously. Then Ricky – the usual quiet co-worker, the keep-his-head-down, the stay-at-the-corner and the work-his-butt-off type of guy suddenly burst out. He said this in a very convincing tone: How about sponsoring a child that was also born on the same day as your mum?
The rest of us kind of went silent. Why? Because we knew he nailed it. No one could beat him.
Later that day, the vice president came back looking happy and relaxed. We all realised he’d taken Ricky’s idea on board. There he was, holding a World Vision child sponsorship application form he completed on behalf of his mum. The smile was written all over his face. It’d make a wonderful birthday gift for his mum and a brighter future for a child she sponsored…
Ted Tsai 