On a beautiful summer's day, a father and his eight year old son were lying on the grass by a river bank, looking up at the sky, watching the wisps of clouds floating gently overhead.
A few minutes of silence between them, and the boy turned to his father and asked: "Dad, why are we here?"
His father smiled gently and without looking at him replied: "That's a good question son. I think we are here to enjoy days like this. To experience nature in all her glory, the vastness of the sky, the beauty of the trees, the songs of the birds, listening to the rippling of the waters. I think we're here to help make the world a better place, to pass on our wisdom to future generations like yourself, who will actually profit from our achievements and learn from our mistakes.
We're here to savour the small triumphs in life; passing your school exams, the birth of a new member of the family, promotions at work, a win for the home team. We're here to comfort those dearest to us in times of distress, to provide kindness and compassion, strength and support to those less fortunate than we are. To let them know no matter how bad a situation may seem, that they are not alone.... "
They laid quietly for a few moments. Then the father turned to the boy.
"Does that answer your question son?
"Not really, Dad."
The father was bemused: "No?"
"No, Dad. What I meant was, why are we here when Mom said to pick her up over an hour ago?"
:whip:
A few minutes of silence between them, and the boy turned to his father and asked: "Dad, why are we here?"
His father smiled gently and without looking at him replied: "That's a good question son. I think we are here to enjoy days like this. To experience nature in all her glory, the vastness of the sky, the beauty of the trees, the songs of the birds, listening to the rippling of the waters. I think we're here to help make the world a better place, to pass on our wisdom to future generations like yourself, who will actually profit from our achievements and learn from our mistakes.
We're here to savour the small triumphs in life; passing your school exams, the birth of a new member of the family, promotions at work, a win for the home team. We're here to comfort those dearest to us in times of distress, to provide kindness and compassion, strength and support to those less fortunate than we are. To let them know no matter how bad a situation may seem, that they are not alone.... "
They laid quietly for a few moments. Then the father turned to the boy.
"Does that answer your question son?
"Not really, Dad."
The father was bemused: "No?"
"No, Dad. What I meant was, why are we here when Mom said to pick her up over an hour ago?"
:whip:
