A (Then) Four-Year-Old Questions Being In A Hurry

Almost every morning in our house is a chaos at its finest. Each one of us is still sleepy. Each one of us is hungry. Each one of us has to get ready to be somewhere soon and the clock is ticking.

It doesn’t end there though. We still have to get to wherever we need to be. This sometimes means a whole new adventure takes place beginning with how long it takes for us to load the car. Once we are on our way we face traffic. During that ride I nervously glance at the car clock constantly just trying to gauge our estimated time of arrival to wherever we may be going.

One recent morning we experienced a typical morning: waking up, getting up, eating, getting dressed and then getting out the door and on the way to our destination which this particular morning was daycare for Hannah then on to work for me. Out of this classic chaos came another question posed by a then four-year-old that made me stop in my tracks.

On the ride this particular morning we listened to a CD of some of Hannah’s favorite music. Ironically, the thirty or so songs on this CD include a large section of Christmas songs and you know, that’s ok even during springtime. So, don't judge me! As we neared daycare, Hannah asked when we got there if we could stay in the car to listen to the rest of the song that was playing. I told her we would just have to wait and see.

Moments later, we pull to the curb outside daycare. As luck would have it, a new song had just started. Before I even stopped the car Hannah had asked to listen to the full song. I stopped the car glancing at the car clock noting how I was a couple of minutes later than I really wanted to be but still I told her we would listen to the rest of the song. I did though unbuckle my seat belt then turned to unbuckle her from her car seat. When I did Hannah stepped out of the car seat then asked a question that hit me square between the eyes, “Why are you in a hurry?”

A bit stunned, I asked Hannah if I was always in a hurry. She replied yes. We both laughed briefly then listened to the rest of her song. Of course, her question dangled in the air waiting to be pondered at a later time.

In our continual quest to look at and attempt to answer the questions of a then four-year-old, this time we look at “why are you in a hurry?”. Frankly, I have no ready answer to that question. It is a question that tends to make me look inward and, frankly as uncomfortable as that can be sometimes, that question can be a good thing to ponder from time to time.

The question though is one that is universal. It is asked by many people everywhere all the time. It is enough of a question that we write songs about it such as “You Can’t Hurry Love” or “What’s Your Hurry?”. We even build plots around the theme on TV shows such as the Andy Griffith Show, well at least on TV shows that don’t focus on making heroes out of zombies or serial killers or that don't portray decent people as schleps or losers.

So, Hannah, as you travel the road of life sometimes you will hear others ask you, and maybe you will find you will even ask yourself, “Why are you in a hurry?”. I don’t really know an answer to the question for anyone at any age whether you are five-years-old or one hundred and five-years-old. Yes, in some way, the hurry is life, it’s the getting-to, it’s the going-from, it’s a zillion different activities that interest you, it’s all the obligations you make, it’s the deadlines, it’s life at its most raw and full. Still, when you hear this question please always listen to it. Always stop to think about what it means. Maybe it’s someone’s way, maybe even your own way, of saying there is more to life than the rush to do things and to go places. There is value sometimes in sitting still and just letting life be.

I understand the value held in that question because one morning a then four-year-old stood on the console of our car outside her daycare. Even though we were a couple of minutes late that blonde-haired, blue-eyed four-year-old sang along with the song on the CD player in a voice I just know was the voice of an angel and I marveled at how wonderful things can be found in life's simple, quiet moments . Later that day, I found myself wrapped up in work deadlines, family worries, societal concerns and seemingly dozens of other things that nipped away at me. When things seemed to overwhelm me, I slowed down enough to remember those few moments when we stopped being in a hurry and took time to be still and just let life be.

The Supremes “You Can’t Hurry Love” 

J. Geils Band "What's Your Hurry?"

The Andy Griffith Show "What's Your Hurry?"

The Andy Griffith Show "Man In A Hurry"