Why are we here?

[graveleye]

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?"

[Ralph E. Powers]

Good one!