So why are we here, anyways??

Tonight at dinner, out of the blue and completely unsolicited, Liam turns to me and asks "So why are we here anyways??" I stopped and asked him "What are you referring to?" He answered "People. Why are people alive? Why are we even here???" 

THUD (the sound of my jaw dropping and hitting the table).

It took me a moment before answering, "Well, that is an excellent question and one that I oftentimes ask myself."  And I DO ask it of myself. Often. What is our purpose? Why ARE we here anyways?? We live everyday and do the same things day in and day out and then we die and the cycle is repeated and only a fraction of a handful of us do anything truly extraordinary. Most of us just exist. Nothing more and nothing less. Of course I didn't tell him any of these thoughts. I instead answered "Well, I guess we are all here so we can carry on the human race. It is kind of our job everyday to get up and keep on going and to try and do things that in the end, will make the world a better place" This answer seemed to appease him. 

And then he asked, "Well where do people come from??" At first I thought 'Oh joy. We are finally going to have THAT conversation and Ken is away from home and gets to miss in all of the fun!' But then I realized that was not what he was asking. He wasn't asking how one person is created, he was asking how were ALL people created?

Again, THUD.

And again, another question I struggle with. Admittedly not the most religious person, I thought of my words carefully. I explained to Liam that some people believe we evolved from animals, like an ape, slowly over time until we are like we are today (which he found preposterous) and I told him how some people believe we were created by God and that we all came from one man and one woman (which he found slightly less preposterous, but barely). I finally ended with "It is really up to you to decide what you choose to believe. Whatever feels right to you is the right answer." He replied to me" Well maybe we should look it up on the computer." Yeah, maybe.

It is the days/nights like this when I think Liam is a bit of an old soul. The things he thinks about (at barely 6 years of age) are things I never contemplated until my angst-filled artsy fartsy teenage years (and later). If he is so observant and questioning now, I can only wonder how he will be when he is a teenager? 

At this rate he may have it all figured out and if he does, I hope he shares the answers with his Mom.