“W” is for Why

The other night I was watching TV and a commercial for a well-known bank came on. There is a cute little girl who, when asked if she wanted cash back, the little girl’s usual response was “NO!” This time, the little girl responded, “YES!” After the big celebration, the little girl throws her hands up in the air and says, “WHY?!”, throwing the questioner into a panic.

How many of we parents HAVEN’T gone through the years of “WHY?” with our children? To be truthful, how many of us can claim to have never driven OUR parents nuts with the “Why” questions? I know my parents would always give a sigh of relief if I limited my whys to a maximum of 3. Of course, that didn’t happen nearly as often as my parents would have desired.  

When I reached the venerable age of 8, my parents decided that the time had come to invest in a set of encyclopedias. It helped answer questions such as “Why do the stars shine at night?” “Why do airplanes make sonic booms?” Why do fish live in the water?” “Why do swallows return every year to the same place?” Of course, it also inspired new questions that went unexplained, “Why are little girl different from little boys?” “Why do we have to grow up?” Why don’t airplanes fall from the sky?” “Why are my hands different from each other?”

Sonia’s whys were a little different: “Why doesn’t Papa speak English?” “Why did the castle fall down?” “Why don’t I have any brothers and sisters?” “Why isn’t Ale my sister instead of my cousin?” (I asked this latter question myself, from time to time, but that’s neither here nor there…)

I have new whys these days, like “Why do we have to get old?” “Why don’t politicians practice what their constituents preach?” “Why do people hate others that are different from them?” "And my favorite “Why can’t I find an answer to my questions?”

Do you have any favorite “WHY?” questions asked by yourself or someone you know? Why don’t you share them with us?