ask me, ask me, ask me May 8, 2008
Monkey Boy is 5 and full of questions about his world. Everyday I am tested on how much I know and how much I don’t know (which I’m discovering is a lot).
The other day he asked me how many butterflies there are in the world. I could have probably looked it up but he didn’t want to know how many kinds there are, he wanted to know how many existed. I tried to fob off a pat answer, “Oh millions, I would imagine honey.”
“No really, mom. There has to be at least a hundred million thousand.”
“I would imagine there are at least that many, yes.”
Then there was the time he asked me how many eyelashes we get in our lifetime.
“And if they fall out so we can make wishes then that’s how many wishes we would get in our life, right?”
“Right.”
“So my wish will come true.” Since Monkey Boy always wishes for a motorcycle when he blows his eyelash off my finger, I seriously doubt it (I told him he can’t have one until I’m dead).
Some of the questions are tougher then others. Some I don’t want to answer at all. I just can’t pop his nothing-bad-ever-happens-to-me balloon. And then there are the ones I tell him to go and ask his father. Then I hide just around the corner and snicker my ass off as DH tries to come up with an answer.
But every once in a while he asks me one that stops me in my tracks and makes me think.
“Why did it take God 6 days to make the world? Why don’t those people have food? Can’t they just go to the grocery store like you do? Why does that man have only one leg when everyone else has two? Why do the soldiers have to fight the wars?”
Why indeed, honey.
Beth, your son has a patient mom. I like your answers to his questions, and some require real thought since our kids look to us for answers. Like you said, you don’t want to pop his optimistic balloon. I remember the question about God taking six days to make the world– my answer? Some things can happen can happen really fast, and God would know how to do that. Have a wonderful Mother’s Day, Beth.
Thank you Kathleen! You have a great Mother’s Day too!
Beth, I have to tell you I was reading along here smiling and nodding and then I got to the end and my heart tripped. You do have a great way of moving a reader - whether to laugh or to think. Your sons are lucky.
Happy mother’s day!
~Debbie
Beth, oh, my, the things they ask, many of which have no good answers. Will we ever figure it all out?
Linda
Debbie-
Thank you. Have a great Mother’s Day!
Linda-
They do keep us on our toes. Hope you have a great Mother’s Day!