Sometimes a Question isn't about the Answer

"When is it going to rain here again?" my 7 year old asked. At the official start of summer, the truth is that we might not see rain until November.

I followed my curiousity and asked him, "Do you want it to rain again or not?"

"I do," he replied.

"Why do you want it to rain?"

"I like the sound the cars make when they drive through the deep puddles."

I never would have guessed that would be the reason behind the question. It led to a nice discussion about missing the northwest.

It was a good reminder that it's important not to get so caught up in answering the question that I miss the real concern behind it.

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