Mum, why do we live? This question takes the mother by surprise. In the middle of the rumbling streetcar. Loud and clear. And all heard this question. All the fellow passengers around are curiously waiting for mum’s answer now. Just as the child. And the tension is almost tangible in the air. Mum is thinking: What in the world shall I answer now? In passing like here. Is there an answer anyway? Or rather distract, change to another subject, we can talk about that later, my love …
Children ask. They have many questions. Once they can speak and express their thoughts, they ask parents, grandparents, teachers, yes, even the person sitting next in the streetcar. They almost bombard one with questions. They want the adults to explain them the world. Show me! Tell me! How, why? Why not?
But what about the answers?
Looking for answers
For these very deep and far-reaching questions, adults do not immediately have an answer. If they have one at all. Sometimes they react helplessly, sometimes hostile. Don’t ask so much, don’t ask so stupid. Sometimes they wonder: What can I say? How shall I word it? Each word is suddenly very important. Because there are important questions. Life issues. Urging questions that life itself asks and that people ask life – because they live.
“We live to grow”, explains the mother in the streetcar. “Like a small caterpillar that will become a beautiful butterfly. Or, like a flower that stretches to the sunlight, so that it can flourish.” There are many pictures to help explain. When searching for an answer, one may come back to to the familiar, personal experiences, knowledge, religions, the Bible or other sacred writings, nature and science, books and stories.
Or one can look for the answer in himself.
From heart to heart
The children’s questions can remind you of something, touch something that is very deeply hidden in the heart, because it is a question from heart to heart, requiring an answer from heart to heart. There is much that is greater than man. He, who has experienced that himself, can tell children about it. Anyone who has searched for answers in himself, can encourage the child to find its path in its own inner being and follow it.
On this path, all the answers of life exist and can be discovered. Even the answer to the question: Why do we live? A man who has made the journey into his own inner being can tell the asking child about it like this: “Yes, God exits. Every person on Earth shall be one of God’s master-builders – one who helps building on the great creation of God himself.”
Everyone has a life mission
Such a person has learned that everyone has a special mission, an individual task in his life. Life is about finding out this task and work on it. This task has not only to do with oneself, but always also with the people you know and you will get to know yet.
“If you want to find your life’s task, ask what you can give these people.” says the mother. This is the most important information that can be transmitted to children looking for answers. He, who traces this idea will find out that people need him in many ways. “You are indispensable for your fellow men”, is a knoledge that can even mature in young people.
