My daughter asked me her first question when she was little less than 2 years old. As I hung up the phone, she said “Who had just called?” My mouth was wide open with disbelief that I had just heard a question from this tiny little person who not very long ago was just going “gagagagaga”! That’s when it all started… ‘who’, ‘when’, ‘how’, ‘where’ and the dreaded one of all “WHY?”
Yesterday, as we sat down for dinner, she pointed to a tiny piece of cumin (commonly used in Indian cooking) on her plate and asked what it was. As I explained, the more important question came up – Mommy, WHY DID YOU PUT IT? You know… until that moment I had never really thought about it. The real answer was – “That’s how my mom taught me to cook and I blindly followed it!” But how can you explain this to a 2 year old?
It’s probably not too long until I say, “Because, that’s just how it is!” But I am not ready to give in just yet. So, I answered – “Its good for your health and it makes you strong.” Thankfully, that ended the discussion…the next thing I did was google “cumin” and find out that it helps with digestion!
It’s funny…as we grow older, we start taking small things for granted. But when a child questions every insignificant thing, it makes you wonder... and maybe relive your childhood in a small way!
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