"There are years that ask questions and years that answer"
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Zora Neale Hurston’s phrase, “There are years that ask questions and years that answer,” captures the cyclical and often unpredictable nature of human experience. Life is seldom a linear journey; instead, it unfolds in patterns of uncertainty and clarity, searching and discovering. The years that “ask questions” are marked by upheaval, confusion, or transition. During such periods, individuals may find themselves faced with uncertainty about the future, grappling with unresolved emotions, or challenging long-held assumptions. These are times of seeking, wondering why certain events have occurred, what direction to take, or how one fits into the larger picture of the world.
Questions can arise due to loss, change, personal ambition, or even through simple curiosity. They reveal the human instinct to search for meaning or purpose, but they don’t always come with immediate answers. Instead, one might feel suspended in ambiguity, learning more about the complexity of life but not yet gaining wisdom or closure.
Contrastingly, the “years that answer” are periods illuminated by understanding, growth, or revelation. These are often the seasons that follow introspection, heartache, or struggle. Answers may come through external events, a new job, a relationship, a moment of success, or through internal realizations: acceptance, forgiveness, or finding peace within oneself. What was once perplexing becomes clear, and the lessons seeded in years of questioning begin to bloom.
Hurston’s insight acknowledges that both types of years are essential. Growth depends on the interplay between not knowing and finally understanding. Accepting this ebb and flow allows people to be patient with life’s uncertainties, recognizing that the hardships of today might lay the groundwork for tomorrow’s clarity. In embracing both questioning and answering years, individuals allow themselves to fully experience the depth and breadth of the human journey.
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