I have a friend who was complaining about all the questions her toddler asks. She said being in the car with her daughter is exhausting. "It’s a constant dialogue," she said.
Look at that cow.
Why does he have a white spot on his tummy?
Do you have a spot on your tummy?
You have a bellybutton.
Why do you have a bellybutton?
Does yours stick out?
Mine sticks out.
Can we get ice cream?
And on and on it goes.
My friend stares listlessly into space.
"Why does she have to ask so many questions?" she wailed.
I smiled at the irony of it all.
She asks all those questions because she’s learning. She’s making sense of the world.
My friend knows this, of course, but still, she longs for quiet. I assure her that day will come. And even though she thinks she will be ready, she will be asking a question of her own, and it will sound something like, "Where did the time go?"
For now, she can bask in the glory of having someone so completely interested in every single thing she does and says.
When was the last time someone wanted to know everything about you? Was it so long ago that you've forgotten how it feels to be interesting and intriguing, included and irresistible?
My favorite people in the entire world are the curious ones. Not the ones who wax political or brag about their houses or kids on social media. Instead, I'm intrigued by people who ask questions and genuinely listen for the answers. People who dream big and have hearts full of wonder. People who read and travel and try new things simply because they want to find out the answer to the one question we all ask ourselves:
Who am I?
And who are you?
If I can understand light because I've seen darkness
joy because I’ve known sorrow
love because I’ve experienced hate and
satisfaction because I've known hunger
Then surely I can understand more about me by learning more about you.
What are your favorite questions to ask new friends?