The Fable of the Tailor

There was once an immigrant tailor who came to this country and opened up a shop. He sewed on buttons, stitched hems, made suits, and did all those other things that tailors do. One day his son, who was an accountant, dropped by for a visit. While he was there, he noticed two cigar boxes sitting next to the cash register. One was labeled "paid bills," and the other was labeled "unpaid bills." The son chastised his father for keeping his records in such an unprofessional manner because the old man didn't know what his profit was.
The father lovingly put his arm around the shoulders of his son and told him that when he came to this country many years ago, the only possessions he had were his clothes. Now he had a home, a car, a good business, good health, a daughter who was a college professor, a daughter who was an engineer, and a son who was not too sharp as an accountant. The old tailor then said, "When I add up all of my blessings and subtract the clothes on my back, what remains is my profit."
This story was told many years ago in a homily given by Monsignor Raphael Kamel, the pastor of All Saints Church in Dallas, Texas. The message is simple, yet powerful. It is also unusual. Unlike most stories that describe profit as ill-gotten or abusive, this one talks about profit in terms of human achievement and social good.