Be forewarned, these three questions to answer will linger in our minds, poking at us when we least expect. We’ll forget them for a while but they always promise to resurface.

– Who am I?

– What am I?

– Why am I here?

At first, the “Who” and “What” seem easy. Are we a name with history and roles to play such as sister, mother, lover, and more? But that third question alerts us to deeper meanings.

We can look at these questions as quaint riddles, but they have long existed in many life and healing philosophies as a way to see into and beyond ourselves. 

Answers to all three are dynamic rather than fixed. They will shift with every life experience we have and every time we think about the who-what-why. Each life experience holds potential for adding to our ever-increasing stash of lessons learned. And every lesson tells us more about ourselves and the world at large.

On my birthday, I jot down my answers to each of these three questions, and compare them with years past. It feels like looking in a mirror. They reflect back how I see myself at that point in time. Some years that mirror is less clear than other times, but it’s a strong reminder to be present in living my life.

How would you approach these three special questions to answer?