I was working in my flower bed when a young boy stopped his bike next to my mailbox. He read the sign I’d posted: “Why are teddy bears never hungry?” The boy looked at me and shrugged. I grinned and said, “Come back tomorrow to find out.”
The next morning, I put the answer on the poster board, as well as a new riddle. The boy laughed at the answer—“Because teddy bears are stuffed!”—and it made my day.
I live alone and started posting a daily riddle to try to connect with my neighbors safely during the pandemic. I could hardly believe the response. When I went for walks, people called out their guesses. Neighbors left little gifts and thank you notes with more riddles on my doorstep. The best was the grandmother who took photos of the riddles to send to her grandchildren. It made me smile to think I was helping someone else connect with their loved ones.
Turns out, a riddle a day can keep loneliness at bay.
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