A How a Why and a Sigh.

Currently we are living with an enquiring mind.  If anyone has a child who endeavours to know the ins and outs of everything, you know where I am coming from.

How funny it can be.  How endearing.  How educating.  How exhausting! 

Some of the questions I have been fielding and avoiding of late consist of the following:

How is grass made?  Is it a seed?  Why is it green?

How are people made?  Do people make people?  Who made you?

Who makes cars?  Why did John go to mechanic school?  Did you go to mechanic school?  

Why not?

Who makes the cold?  Why did they? Because I don’t like it!

Why do I have to eat berries?

Why is poo brown?  Why does it come out?  What would happen if it didn’t come out?

Why is the ground hard?  Why are balls bouncy?

Where is money made? 

Why do you still have boobies? 

Aren’t apples “healfy” foods?  And isn’t sugar not a “helfy” food?

On and on.  Sometimes I answer in the best way I can.  Sometimes I ask what he thinks the answer is and on these occasions he gets mad and says “fine! Don’t tell me then!”  Sometimes I lie and make up an answer which only adds to more why’s and what’s.  Sometimes I tell him to ask his daddy.  Sometimes I tell the truth and say I don’t know.

Today he asked me why is there bad luck?

We were walking across the road.  He’s not fussy about where we are when he asks me one of his endless questions.  When he wants to know something he needs to know there and then.

I was rushing as usual.  Well, it was bucketing down and we were on our way back to the car.  

Already drenched. 

“Why is there bad luck?”

I didn’t break my stride but the question stopped me.

Why indeed?

I told him people have bad luck because they can’t be lucky all of the time.  In the same way sometimes you get sick, because you can’t be well all of the time.  Like when you’re sad because it’s not possible to be happy all of the time.

Sometimes you have bad luck but you can have good luck too.

“Like finding a lucky penny?”

Exactly like finding a lucky penny I told him.

He told me he likes it when he finds lucky pennies and when he has too many of them, he gives some to “baba” because he wants him to have good luck too.

We both agreed that was a nice thing to do. 

“I love you, Mammy.”  Big blue eyes looked up at me. He tells me he loves me at least a dozen times a day and insists on hugging and kissing me as he imparts this information.

I did break my stride then.  To hell with the rain.  We were already soaked but I had bought tracksuit bottoms and we were close to where the car was parked so we could change soon.

I bent down to receive his kiss and hug. 

And I sighed. 

Sometimes you have bad luck but you can have good luck too.  Like finding a lucky penny.  Like having a Lovely Liam in your life.