This isn't mine, just a copy-pasta. I liked it though. So here it is.
A man asked his son what he wanted for his birthday. The son said, "I would like a rubber ducky." The father said, "Okay," and bought him a rubber ducky. A week later, it was gone, and the son refused to tell his father what he had done with it.
Next year, the father asked his son what he wanted for his birthday. Again, the son said, "I would like a rubber ducky." The father told him, "I got you one of those last year, and it was gone in a week." The son says, "I know, but that is the only thing I want. Please." The father caves. "Okay son," he says, "but you had better not lose it again."
One week later, it was gone. Again, his son refuses to explain what happened to it.
This continues every year until the son graduates from high school. After his graduation ceremony, his father tells him, "Congratulations, son. I'm so proud of you. What do you want as a graduation present? A car? An iPhone? Anything you want, son, just ask." The son, however, says, "I would like a crate of 100 rubber duckies." The father is perplexed.
"Son, what happens with these rubber duckies? Why do they go missing?"
"I cannot tell you that. But that is what I want," says the son.
The father caves, and buys his son a giant crate of rubber duckies. He keeps tabs on it, but his son left it alone entirely. Nevertheless, one week later, the father found the crate sitting completely empty.
The son grows up and gets married. His father asked him, "Son, I'm so incredibly happy for you. What do you want for your wedding present?"
The son says, "I would like a thousand rubber duckies."
The father says, "Son, you never tell me, and it burns in my mind. What do you do with these rubber duckies?"
The son says, "I'm sorry father, I cannot tell you. But that is what I want."
The father was crestfallen, but he loved his son, and bought him a thousand rubber duckies. He asked his son's new wife what he had done with them. She told him that they had sat in the garage for a week, until one morning when she awoke to find that every single one of them had disappeared without a trace. The father was perplexed.
One day, years later, the father gets a call. His son was in a car accident. He's in the hospital. He asked specifically for him.
The father rushes to the hospital. "Son, what happened?" he says as soon as he enters the room.
"I'm sorry dad. The doctors tell me I don't have much time."
"Oh, son. Is there anything I can do for you?
"Actually dad, there is one thing. Do you think you could get me... one last rubber ducky?"
The father had to know. "Son, what do you do with these rubber duckies?"
"I'll tell you, dad. But please, first, just one more."
The father agrees. He rushes out and buys a rubber ducky, and drives back to the hospital as fast as he can.
"Here, son," he says, handing him the rubber ducky. "Now please, tell me. I must know. What have you been doing with all these rubber duckies over the years?"
"Thanks, dad," says the son. "Well, you see-"
And then he died.
