Why Are We Here?

On a beautiful Summer’s day, a father and his eight-year-old son
were lying on the grass by the river bank, looking up at the sky and
watching the wisps of cloud float gently overhead.

After a few minutes of silence, the boy turned to the father and
said: “Dad, why are we here?”

“That’s a good question, son. I think we’re here to enjoy days such
as this, to experience nature in all its glory, the vastness of the
sky, the beauty of the trees, the song of the birds, the rippling
flow of the water. We’re here to help make the world a better
place, to pass on our wisdom to future generations who will
hopefully profit from our achievements and learn from our mistakes.

We’re here to savour the small triumphs of life – passing your
school exams, the birth of a new member of the family, promotion at
work, a win for the home team. And we’re here to comfort those
dearest to us in times of distress, to provide kindness and
compassion, support and strength, to let them know that, no matter
how bad a situation may seem, they are not alone.

Does that answer your question, son?”

“Not really, Dad.”

“No?”

“No, what I meant was, why are we here when Mom said to pick her up
over an hour ago?”