A husband and wife were celebrating their 50th anniversary. Their three successful children all agreed to join them for a special Sunday dinner.
“Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!” exclaimed the eldest son, a surgeon. “Sorry I’m late. I had an emergency at the hospital and couldn’t get a gift.”
“Not to worry,” the father replied, “the important thing is that we’re all together today.”
Son number two, a lawyer, arrived next. “You and Mom look great, Dad,” he said. “I just flew in from Los Angeles between depositions and didn’t have time to shop for a gift.”
“It’s okay,” the father reassured him. “We’re just glad you made it.”
The daughter, a marketing executive, arrived last. “Hello and Happy Anniversary! I’m sorry, but my boss is sending me out of town, and I’ve been busy packing, so I didn’t have time to get you anything.”
After dessert, the father spoke up, “There’s something your mother and I have wanted to tell you for a long time. You see, we were very poor. Despite this, we managed to send each of you to college. Throughout the years, we knew we loved each other deeply, but we never found the time to actually get married.”
The three children gasped and exclaimed, “You mean we’re bastards?”
“Yep,” the father said with a grin, “and cheap ones, too!”