One Thing Only

My friend asked me a question that made me stop and think

What is the one thing that I cannot live without?

I asked my dad this question

And this is what he said:

“Hope, darling, that there will always be a better future.

You don’t need to worry, if you never lose hope.”

Turning to my brother, I asked him what he thought.

He told me he didn’t care—but then questioned what was life without peace?

Without it, there’d be chaos and he’d be drafted in a war.

Quite literally, he couldn’t live without peace.

My mother chimed in: “Happiness.

What good is life if you can’t choose to be happy despite the good and bad?

It’s the only thing you can freely spread and it multiplies quickly.

Laughter lines are the best wrinkles, they show that joy isn’t dead.”

After listening to their answers, I finally had my own

All those virtues can be summed up into one

The one thing above all I can’t live without is love

Without affection from others, I’d become a Gollum

I’d be miserable, restless, despairing and full of doubt

The one thing that can save me are those I care about