Small Price to Pay

What do you want more than anything else in the whole wide world?

I asked this question, to a class of grade 4 students, and a 10 year old girl shot up her hand.

“Mr. Sat!”“Mr. Sat!” “Yes, Janet!” “I don’t want my parents to die.” Another girl answered “Mr. Sat!” “Yes, Elsa” “I want my parents to be happy and healthy.”

Wow. Imagine if their parents were there.

Now, I’m a parent, and my son Caleb was in that class.

Would he honor me or embarrass me? Would I hold him around his chest? Or around his neck?

He stood in front of the class, looked me in the eyes and said, “I want my daddy…to buy all the LEGO toys in the world.”

Contest Chair. Fellow Toastmasters. And, anyone who has second thoughts about having children. You should have children.

When Caleb was born, I can still remember holding his tiny body in the palm of my hands. One look, and I knew that I had to protect, provide and be his parent.


Now, some people might say that being a parent is full of trouble, but in the face of trouble, there is a hero willing to emerge from a parent.

When Caleb was 2, he burst onto a busy street. “Caleb No!” I rescued him to safety.
When Caleb was 3, he made his teacher cry. “Caleb No!” I taught him how to respect.



When Caleb was 4, he decided to cook and almost burned the house down. “Caleb, ok, I’m going on a diet.”

There are rewards that you can only get as a parent. And, the sacrifice is a small price to pay.

Growing up in Canada, I thought I was paying the price. My parents enrolled me in every subject possible: violin, piano, swimming, art, science. In the summer, I pushed the heavy lawnmower across the yard. In the winter, I shoveled mountains of snow off the driveway. And, in my free time? Ha, I had no free time.

And, that bothered me, I shouted out at my parents. “It’s so hard!” My father grabbed me by my soul. “Son, you don’t know hard.”

For 20 years, my father would come home with bloody hands from gripping the wheel of his post truck, delivering hundreds of parcels day and night. My mother not even 5 feet tall, had a tall order of sweeping and mopping schools as a janitor.

“Son, one day you’ll why.”

One night, we huddled around the TV watching Family Ties, a show about a happy American family. And, while the sounds of laughter filled the room. Tears filled my parents eyes. [4:30]

My mother remembered growing up in Hong Kong during World War 2. The sweet aroma of tobacco filled the cigar factory owned by great grandpa. Great grandpa was so rich that he lived with 4 wives and 30 children. He was a busy man.

My father lived on the other side of the city. But, little did they know that enemy soldiers were going door to door, surrounding the city. Playing on the streets, my father could hear planes circling above the rooftops. Errrrrogh! People below stood like trees.

And, without warning, Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat. They were cut down like trees. My father ran home with all his might only to find enemy soldiers. Grandma screamed “Run!”

My mother stood helplessly as great grandpa’s factory burned down in flames. “You cannot stay here!” A man grabbed my mother and sprinted to a nearby bomb shelter. For weeks, she huddled, hungry and alone.

Until one day “Siu Yee! Siu Yee!” She knew that voice! She burst out the door, grabbed the iron fence and screamed “Mama!!”

Every child sees a hero in a parent. No bombs or bullets could stop the love of my grandma, my family. My family stood their ground in the face of terror.

Today, we hear stories of parents stopping tanks with their bare hands, telling soldiers to get out of their land!

Today our world needs more parents, more heroes. The question is: are you willing?

I’m willing to stand with parents to protect our families, our future, our freedom.

Even if it costs me my life, it’s a small price to pay.

Contest Chair.