Maya’s Travels

Dear Mai,

We were at our local Chinese Restaurant tonight and I realized we're at a different level in our conversation. Ever since you started talking you've had a lot to say, maybe sometimes too much. Now we're starting to broach some abstract thought or at least what appears to be the case. Here's our conversation on our way to the restaurant. Mind you it is less than a 10 minute drive.

Maya: "Daddy? Why are we on the earth?"

Daddy: (a stunned pause) "Umm... because, well... you see... there was once this big bang that created our solar system and the 9 planets in it. We got lucky because the Earth is the only planet that humans can live on!"

Maya: "Why are we human?"

Daddy: (thinks I'm probably not handling this well) "Well, there are many theories on human existence. One of them is that we've evolved."
Maya: "What does evolved mean?"

Daddy: (digging. I'm just digging myself) "Well. To evolve is kind of like growing up. You know how practice makes you better at things?"

Maya: "Yes."

Daddy: "Well life evolves like that. It grows into something else. So like it's possible that humans were once apes. But one day one ape started walking on two legs then more did. Then they started using tools and pretty soon they lost a lot of hair except for on their head and then one day, BOOM! There are humans now! We're evolving right now. The more we use our brains and grow smarter we're evolving as human beings!"

Maya: "Then maybe we'll be able to go into space soon!"

Daddy: "YES!" (wait. Did she just say that aliens are the evolution of humans. mind. blown.)

Maya: "Look Daddy! There's the taco truck!"

You're 3.5 man. I'm guessing most of that conversation was lost on you. That's good because I was just shooting from the hip there. But really? Why are we human? What does a 3.5 year old mean when she asks that? It's probably not the existentialism route that I went down but what is it? Either way we've got a long road ahead of us. I'm not sure I've evolved enough to handle this.

Whatever man. Here are some random pics of you being 3.

The sporty, Seattle girl look

Work it Mai

And enjoying one of Mama's favorite past times. Eating pasta

When you're old enough to read this post, ask me those questions again. Until then, do what three year olds do. Lay on new purple rugs with your footie jammies and sniff your loot you got from trick-or-treat at the junction.

Love you my little inquisitive girl,

Daddy