Most of us grow up thinking that a question deserves an answer. So we answer most questions - especially when we are kids - to the best of our ability, and possibly with a degree of politeness and kindness. And we expect the same favor returned to us - if we do ask.

And so the conversations in our lives go on, with us posing questions, expecting ensuing answers, sharing experiences, coming up with deductions, commitments, new ideas, and so forth.

But at times we are confronted with these people who refuse to answer a question with an answer, but instead pose another question. Kind of questioning our question, which may seem pretty rude. How did they get to bypass the supposed answering phase, and disrupt the flow of conversation?! The older you get, the more you may meet people like this, but it still won’t necessarily change your own learned response to anybody asking something.

Still, the older we get, the more likely we are to question questions. We may see - or choose to see - beyond the questions, many of which seem just too trivial to deserve an answer, or they may trigger us to ponder upon other things related to the question.

Not answering right away, i.e. ruminating a bit before answering, is also a form of questioning the question. It is a welcome thing actually in these speedridden times we are living in, and gives us an opportunity to give more accurate and profound replies. It also gives the one posing the question an opportunity to grow in patience.

A senior citizen is not even expected to give rapid replies. You may never know what feeling of freedom that creates in a human being, no matter what age. Taking the time to formulate one’s thoughts before answering.

When we are really old, and perhaps in a stage of some sort of memory loss or dementia, we really are not expected to answer much anything. It is suffice to just be there, and be part of the family with shared feelings and experiences.

We as kin would love to get some answers - perhaps as a last chance to find out about past events. But even a smile will do. The time to get answers to our questions may have passed by, and it is time to just - be. No questions asked. For once.