Silas had some terrible, two tantrums way before turning two, and now as he approaches three, he's already in that wonderful inquisitive "why" phase. While my educator heart loves to explain, I find that many of his "whys" are posed at concepts that have no understandable response. It's not the easy questions pouring from his mouth that frustrate me, "Mommy, why does that water go down the drain? Mommy why do we have to sleep? Mommy, why do we talk in an inside voice?" Nor is it the more abstract ones that press on my patience, "Mommy, why do we have to be good? Mommy, why do we pray? Mommy, why do we need to forgive?" However, I do begin to grumble curt, cantankerous answers at his unanswerable recitations: "Mommy why is this my hand? Mommy why is it Saturday and not Tuesday? Mommy why are people, people?" I finally understand the indefinite "BECAUSE, just BECAUSE!"
While this phase like any other will come and go, I can't help but see the glaring similarities with Silas's questions and those of mature, educated adults. Doesn't humanity grapple with it's own version of the unanswerable? Why do children get cancer? Why would a loving God send people to hell? Why do deserving people suffer and undeserving people prosper? Why are babies starving around the world? Why are young mothers killed without cause? While many would argue that there are some very obvious answers to some of these tough questions, others would still debate that those responses aren't really answering the question. Likewise, when I try to give an answer to Silas' most abstract questions, it's not always the end of his rabbit trail questioning. As a parent accepts that he/she will not be able to answer every question a two year-old mind can conjure, why don't we all have the same acceptance for life? I believe God practices much greater patience with His questioning children than we do with our own.
Silas' questions subsided a bit this weekend after a fun mommy date on Thursday and a snow surprise on Friday...
Thanks to Linda (and her husband Ron), a sweet retired nurse from our church, I was able to get out with just the Si-man for a fun mommy and me class at the Southern Civil War and Locomotive museum in Kennesaw. Silas could have stayed all day!
He vaguely remembered the snow from last year, but I know he'll remember the little bit from this year.
Almost immediately after the sun came out and melted our little wonderland, Silas' questioning returned. "Mommy, why does the snow have to melt!?!" I have found that returning his question with a question seems effective. "Silas, do you think maybe it will snow again another day?" "YEAH! I DO!" He said enthusiastically. And that was that. Hoping for more snow soon...
~Why Buster
While this phase like any other will come and go, I can't help but see the glaring similarities with Silas's questions and those of mature, educated adults. Doesn't humanity grapple with it's own version of the unanswerable? Why do children get cancer? Why would a loving God send people to hell? Why do deserving people suffer and undeserving people prosper? Why are babies starving around the world? Why are young mothers killed without cause? While many would argue that there are some very obvious answers to some of these tough questions, others would still debate that those responses aren't really answering the question. Likewise, when I try to give an answer to Silas' most abstract questions, it's not always the end of his rabbit trail questioning. As a parent accepts that he/she will not be able to answer every question a two year-old mind can conjure, why don't we all have the same acceptance for life? I believe God practices much greater patience with His questioning children than we do with our own.
Silas' questions subsided a bit this weekend after a fun mommy date on Thursday and a snow surprise on Friday...
Thanks to Linda (and her husband Ron), a sweet retired nurse from our church, I was able to get out with just the Si-man for a fun mommy and me class at the Southern Civil War and Locomotive museum in Kennesaw. Silas could have stayed all day!
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| Crazy that this little hat has fit him for three years! |
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| I think Levi would have stayed outside all day because he's always hot, but the teen-digit wind chill just made me nervous, so he just glimpsed the beautiful white stuff coming down on Saturday. |
Almost immediately after the sun came out and melted our little wonderland, Silas' questioning returned. "Mommy, why does the snow have to melt!?!" I have found that returning his question with a question seems effective. "Silas, do you think maybe it will snow again another day?" "YEAH! I DO!" He said enthusiastically. And that was that. Hoping for more snow soon...
~Why Buster
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