Why? Such a small word, but so much depth to it… Why do we encounter certain people? Why do we make the decisions we do? Why do our lives take the paths that they take? Why do we make the choices we make? Why are we the way we are? Why do we care what others may think of us? Why can’t we always change the things that we don’t like? Why, why, why? Our lives bring us so many questions, and yet, at times so few answers.
This has always been a favorite word for me… Well its really more a question… A simply complex question in fact. It’s deceptive in it’s three letter simplicity, because it can be frustratingly difficult to answer. I think that’s why as children it’s the most commonly asked. It seems so basic doesn’t it? When someone tells us something we don’t understand or can’t process, we instinctively search for a further explanation. What do we immediately gravitate to? Why? When we ask it, it seems like such an easy question. To be on the receiving end… So much more challenging. I think I really started to appreciate how difficult it is to answer in this last year as event upon event in my life had me asking myself “Why?” more and more. You can tack any combination of words to the end to form a more specific question, but it all seems to come back to the “Why?” part of it.
Sadly, at times the only answer is “Just because that’s the way it is.” Truly not a very satisfying answer. It’s not in my mind anyway as I’m one of those people who constantly seeks to know and learn and understand. I’m slowly learning that I just have to be content with that at times. I find that an absolute challenge. The inquisitive side of my nature instinctively wants more information. I suppose that’s because in my mind it’s easier to accept things I don’t like when I can fully understand the reasons behind it.
I think we all have our “Why?” moments. Times and circumstances that we see in our lives and the only thing we can think is “Why?”… I’ve been told that I spend too much time on self reflection and not enough time living in the moment. I think that for me to enjoy my “in the moment” times, I have to have the times of self reflection. We all search for things in our lives, and on occasion we find it and at times even get to keep it. Life is a journey with a lot of tangled paths. We start down one thinking we know where it leads only to find that we were totally wrong and we stand asking ourselves a myriad of questions… Starting with “Why?”…