Sunday, July 11, 2004
The Big Question
Towards the end of June, Don and Shelly came to our house to have dinner and to play with the kids. When we'd finished eating, we looked outside and, much to our amazement, there was blue sky overhead! This seemed remarkable at the time since we were in the midst of the second rainiest June on record. Our 18+ inches last month were eclipsed only by 2001, when Tropical Storm Allison dumped a shocking 35 inches over some parts of the Houston area in 5 days. What was different this year is that it remained overcast and wet day after day after day--think Seattle without the....well, without a lot of things. In any event, along with a lot of other Houstonians, my family has been irritable with cabin fever.
We headed outside to enjoy the sunshine. Then Max looked up and, as if noticing it for the first time, exclaimed: "Look, there's the moon!" And then he asked one of life's really big questions: "HOW DID IT GET UP THERE?"
I had read in a child development book that age 4 is the Year of the Questions, so I wasn't expecting this query from my two-and-a-half year old. I thought I had time to brush up on a few things like why the grass is green and where rainbows come from and how magnets work.
But I'm behind. I paused, considering whether to tackle God or the Big Bang with my response. Finally, I decided to postpone answering, and instead I asked Max how HE thought the moon might have gotten up there. He said, "With a big ladder." Pretty good thinking...but I'm on notice. It's time to start preparing better answers to the big questions.
We headed outside to enjoy the sunshine. Then Max looked up and, as if noticing it for the first time, exclaimed: "Look, there's the moon!" And then he asked one of life's really big questions: "HOW DID IT GET UP THERE?"
I had read in a child development book that age 4 is the Year of the Questions, so I wasn't expecting this query from my two-and-a-half year old. I thought I had time to brush up on a few things like why the grass is green and where rainbows come from and how magnets work.
But I'm behind. I paused, considering whether to tackle God or the Big Bang with my response. Finally, I decided to postpone answering, and instead I asked Max how HE thought the moon might have gotten up there. He said, "With a big ladder." Pretty good thinking...but I'm on notice. It's time to start preparing better answers to the big questions.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home