Sometimes I’m mocked for seeing the world through eyes of wonder, as though through the eyes of a child. But I continue to be “childish” despite my critics, because each day is new, each moment entrancing, each offering of life is something exciting to behold.

If a person speaks in a language I do not know, and I wonder what the words mean, and ask. I hear about a rocket that’s going to the moon, and I wonder how it lifts off and look it up for myself. There are so many things I do not know, that I will never know, even if I live a thousand lives. So, I have no limitation to what I can learn, except my own lack of curiosity.

The moment my curiosity stops, I start to die. If I don’t learn about someone different from me because I feel I already know their type, if I don’t learn how to start a new project because I already know it will be too hard, or I see a work of art and do not stop to admire its newness to me because I’ve seen things like this before, then my world stops growing, and starts dwindling.

But when I realize I don’t actually know, and take that extra step to find out, I once again have infinite possibilities ahead.

Never let anyone chide you when you ask questions. Any question is fine. Wanting to know, and having the capability of finding out are two of the most precious traits we humans have. I revel in them, and they bring me joy. I wish the same for you.

By: Catherine Weaver

Catherine Weaver is a children’s fantasy author from the San Francisco Bay Area. She is an educator and a mother and grandma who loves her grandkids, silly jokes, and the beauty of the world around her. Find her on Facebook on Twitter or on her blog.