We are going to stay at Tim’s dad’s house soon, and it has set Big off again, asking why are we born if all that happens is we die? Also, why do ppl fight, like countries. And what will happen if there’s another world war?
Eek. I don’t have answers to these questions. There aren’t answers to these questions.
Anyone got a copy of Sophie’s World
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They can see no reasons
‘Cos there are no reasons
What reasons do you need?
Hello Jax, you may remember me from FP (you once gave me a lift to Ruby’s house), I’ve been reading your blog on and off for a while now, just because you’re someone I know who leads an interesting life - sorry that sounds terribly voyeuristic and I suppose in some way it is, but I’ve been meaning to delurk for ages, just never got round to it…anyway, my dd H is now 6 and in Y1 at the local primary, and I have another dd C who is 2 (crikey doesn’t time fly!?). I’m still at home, mark GCSEs in the summer, not much else has changed - oh, except somewhere along the way, we ‘lost’ our faith and haven’t darkened the doors of the C of E for about a year now, and I’m still grappling with what that means with how we raise H and C…
Anyway, I seem to have had quite a few conversations with H about this type of question, “why are we born if all that happens is we die?” H seemed to be reasonably okay with a ‘circle of life’ type answer to this, something along the lines of, it’s absolutely wonderful when a baby is born and isn’t she glad that she’s got a sister to love and mummies and daddies have babies because they want to love them…but everything that’s born, must also one day die and you can’t have one without the other; and yes, it’s very sad when someone dies, but I’d rather take the chance to love someone and be loved by someone even if I know that one day eventually (and inevitably) one of us will die, than to spend my whole life alone. And personally, I think I would challenge the ‘all that happens’ bit…we’re born, we love and are loved, we experience all the joys of living in this world, and *then* we die…
Anyway, that’s my take on that particular one…hope you don’t mind me sticking my oar in.
Lucy
What a fab delurking post. Best one I’ve ever read.
“why are we born if all that happens is we die?”
I’d get all pedantic about that and say, well of course that isn’t all that happens, is it?
Tricky questions though! I hope you manage to satisfy her curiosity one way or another. I remember being worried about those things too at her age - bet you give better answers than I got. Actually I don’t think anyone listened to me asking the questions. Did I dare even ask them? Can’t remember. Maybe not.
Hi Lucy, of course I remember you and H
Another one, gosh!
Would like to talk more with you about the whole faith or lack thereof if you’re up for it, and very happy to have you around (lurking or otherwise).
Gill, I don’t think I did give good answers at all, not least because I don’t know that there are good answers. But I did listen to her and take her very seriously, which might be about as good as it gets.