Most of the time we say, “How are you?”, “How was your day?”, “Have a great day!”. But what if we asked:
* Are you hurting?
* Do you ever feel lonely?
* What is your greatest disappointment?
* What makes you happy besides work?
* Have I let you down?
* What’s missing from your life?
* Do you feel you can call on me for anything? If not, what do you feel you can call on me for?
* Are you carrying a secret you need to share? Would you trust me with it?
* What is your biggest, most hidden dream?
These are all questions I want to ask my son. So touching. I’ll print it and try it every once in awhile. Maybe he’ll respond.
I would answer any of these questions from my Mom, which makes me think we are much closer than I thought.
Not hurting. I get lonely. My greatest disappointment is that I wasted EIGHT years of my life in a small town in Oklahoma, letting go of everything I wanted so I could support my husband’s career. My 20s were all about me learning to choose for myself. Art makes me really happy, and the support I get from my closest friends. My pets bring me a lot of joy. I have a hard time calling on anyone for anything. I keep my secrets and share them with no one. Sometimes I think my secrets are the only thing that fully belong to me. I don’t have a big dream.
….most people don’t even want to think about those things……and feel threatened even being asked…….us creatives find it hard to understand……sighhhh…….
LOVE this!….My dad always asks “How’s the weather?” and “What’s the price of gas?” too. My mom is a lot better at getting to the bottom of things.
I love these questions ! Most of the time we just ask “how are you” in passing & don’t even wait for a response or look the other person in the eye….these questions are meaningful & beg an answer.