Over this past summer, my 5-year-old grandson spent a week with us. It has been a while since I’ve had a 5-year-old around, and I appreciate the things I learned from him that week.
I love the way 5-year-olds question everything around them. How else are they to learn about their world? As I pondered that, I realized some of the most course-changing events of my life occurred after asking “Why?”
Why Do Girls Have to Go To College?
When my peers were plotting a course to college, and the feminists were convincing woman that college was their duty and right, I asked “Why?” Why is choosing homemaking as a career a bad thing? I chose the marriage path instead, which led to a lot more whys.
Why Not Adopt?
When children seemed the next logical step in my journey through life, and they were not appearing on schedule, I asked, “Why must they come the traditional route?” This why led me to foster care, and later adoption. I learned, through asking Why instead of Why me, that there are many ways to become a mother.
Why Must Children go to Public School?
As the time approached to send those children to traditional school, I asked, “Why do they have to leave home at age 5?” Turns out they don’t. The compulsory attendance laws for most states are over 6 years old. I kept them home. Then I asked why they have to go to school at all. Turns out they didn’t. That began our homeschool journey.
Why Immunize?
Mothers all around me were having their children immunized. Again I asked, “Why?” Most mothers had no answer other than they were supposed to get their shots. This why led me to research vaccinations, and consequently, we no longer vaccinate our children.
Why Not Find Your Own Testimony?
It is traditional for children to follow their parents’ religion throughout their lives. I asked,”Why?” and began searching for my own testimony. I found it in another denomination. This has been a huge blessing in my life, a blessing I received simply by asking, “Why?”
It’s Okay For Adults to Ask Why
We consider it wonderful thing when five-year-olds ask why. We even consider it cute and laugh. We have no problem answering their questions because we deem the whys valid. We encourage them to continue asking why and not to simply follow the crowd. Why then, when we ask why as adults, do we feel we are somehow doing something wrong? Why, as adults, are we expected to follow the crowd like a herd of sheep?
Perhaps if we amended the Constitution to make age five the maximum age for serving in Congress, we could solve many of the nation’s problems.
