The Four Questions

I'm sitting on the sofa minding my own business, when Molloy comes frolicking over and sits on my lap for a little Daddy time.  But before I talk about the ensuing conversation, let me just say that frolicking is an underutilized and underrated activity.  If all of us would just frolic a little more, the world would be a much better place.   We could schedule frolic time into our Outlook calendars and iPads; we could frolic alone or in groups, with friends or with strangers, indoors or out.  Americans should frolic, French people should frolic (folatrer), Italians should frolic (divertirsi), the Chinese should frolic (欢闹 ), and even Isreali's should frolic, or is it cilorf? ( עליזות).  Either way...FROLIC MORE, PEOPLE!!!

Back to the sofa.

Now that I had my charming daughter's undivided attention, I thought I would try to make the best use of it.  I prefaced by explaining to her that the world is a very big and complicated place with lots of different countries and lots of different kinds of people.  There are oceans and deserts and trees and animals and plants and machines, and even other planets and stars in the universe.  Then I asked her if she had any questions for me, things she was wondering about that if she asked some questions it would help her understand it all a little bit more.

So if you are a parent of a 6-year old girl and are wondering what is really keeping her up at night staring at the ceiling, I give not only The Four Questions, but also the answers: 

1. How much is the Earth's gravity? 
Quite a surprising opening from those innocent little eyes, but there we were...game on.  I explained to her that we don't necessarily say how much the Earth's gravity is, but rather we use the level of the Earth's gravity as a comparison to other gravities.  For example, the gravity on the moon is less than the Earth's gravity so we would say the Moon's gravity is about half of the Earth's gravity.  In other words, the Earth's gravity is 1. 

2. How did people make the Earth? 
Yikes!  Where to begin.  I explained to her that the Earth was here long before people were.  The Earth was somehow created by some very complicated forces in the universe many, many, many years ago.  Then little organisms formed and grew and changed, and grew and changed some more, until after many, many years, in fact billions of years of growing and changing, the first person was formed.  So you see, people didn't make the Earth, the Earth made people. 

3. How did the first person stay alive...without any parents to take care of them? 
By now, I'm thinking I'm in over my head here, but I trundled on.  I explained that when people are put into very difficult situations, they do whatever then can to figure out a solution, because they otherwise don't have any choice.  And the fact that you and I are here today is proof that people continue to figure out solutions to complicated problems.  "Like on Man vs. Wild?" she asked.  "Exactly," I answered.  "He teaches us things that he's figured out when it comes to surviving in difficult situations."

After a long pause, I asked her if she had any other questions. 

4. Can I go now?
Please.

And off she frolicked.  Leaving me up all night staring at the ceiling.