Life.

Life.

It's a four letter word used millions of times each day. Every single person has been given this word. Every single person knows that it exists. Every single person knows that it can be taken away in any given moment. Somehow, it is possible to package every single moment a person ever has into one four letter word. This word has more meaning than any other word that has ever existed.

Life. New lives begin every single second. People are drawn to babies, because there is something so refreshing in knowing that this little, tiny person will grow into someone who has dreams, hopes, and plans. Each new life gives us reason to hope. Each birth gives us reason to look back on our own lives, and wonder how much of a difference we've made, or will ever make, or if we even matter at all. Life is a funny thing, isn't it? We begin it completely naked, scared, crying, and alone, and we spend the rest of it making sure we are not any of those things at the moment of our death.

Life. It begins, it exists, and then it's over. And, the biggest hope that we have for each life is that it is not wasted. And, whether or not we want to admit it, each of us struggle each day to prove that our life means something to the world. Each of us are terrified that our life will not matter after our death. Every person who is ever born strives to do something worth remembering. We're always on the search to find our way, our fate, our reason for existance, and it's almost as if we never feel worthy of the life we've been given. We go out of our way to convince ourselves that we are loved by others, and that we deserve that love. The truth is, I'm not sure that there is a single person out there who makes the most of their life. There comes a time in every life where we ask, "What's the point?". Sometimes, this question surfaces after we lose someone that we love. Other times, this question is asked when we lose a part of ourselves. We often get lost in a sea of our life's twists and turns, and it's at this moment when we figure out that it is not possible to determine the worth of our own life. And, we begin to realize that after a certain amount of time, love, laughter, and memories, we stop being a group of people who each have separate lives. At this very moment, we morph into a group of people who's lives have all meshed together. One life fails to matter without the next. And, we tend to find comfort in the fact that our life is no longer defined by what it is when it stands alone.

They say that the best things in life are free. This statement is often made after one finds hope in the innocent words of children, hears the lyrics of a favorite song, or looks into the eyes of their true love. And, if you're really lucky, the luckiest person in the world, this person will love you back. And, it is in moments like these that we truly believe that these wonderful parts of life are free.

They also say that nothing in life comes without cost. This, in a way that I cannot explain, is just as true as the statement above. Life is a series of images, decisions, conflict, crossroads, and ideas. And, no matter what we do, there is no way to make the right choices concerning each of these things. Which images are worth remembering? Do we remember the moments that made us the happiest? Or, do we choose to retain the memories of the times that taught us lessons? What is more important? Sometimes, they pass us by like cars on the interstate. Other times, we're stunned, and these instances become more than just images, or decisions, or conflicts. These instances become the moments that live on forever, and we aren't given the chance to say if they matter enought to be remembered. And, no matter how hard we may try to forget, we aren't able, and we are not meant to. These moments become who we are, and in turn, add definition to our lives.

Life. Life is a journey, if you choose for it to be. Life is an ongoing adventure, if you want. Sometimes, we choose to travel alone. Other times, we allow others to read the map for us, and interpret just what direction should be taken next. Often, along this journey, we allow others to take the wheel, as well as our hearts, and it's in the times that we have the least control that we learn the most about ourselves. If we make the wrong decision, then the person who reaches the destination at the end of the journey will not be who we're meant to be at all. It's easy to get lost out there, and if this ever does happen, there are only two choices. We can either find the person that we used to be, or leave that person in the past forever. Sometimes, taking the wrong paths and making the wrong decisions really are better for us than taking the right path and making the right decisions. Sometimes it's necessary to step outside of the person you've been in order to find out who you're meant to be, or who you want to be, or who you already are.

Do we make the moments in our life? Or, do the moments in our life make us? How long does it take to change a life? Can a life change in an instant, or are the events that lead to the certain instand responsible for the changes that it causes? Have you ever wondered what marks our time here? If just one life can make a real impact on the world? Or, if the every day choices that we make really matter in the long run? Are our fates predetermined, or do we ultimately choose the person we are when it's all said and done? Perhaps life only really matters because these questions exist in each of our minds. They give us reason to get out of bed each morning. They give us reason to keep our eyes and minds open. They give us reason to search for meaning. They give us meaning to find love. These questions don't ever have to be answered in order to really matter. In the case of life, the real meaning is found in the chances we take in our search for the answers, and the people we meet and love along the way.

Life should not be wasted with efforts to make it last forever. Every life, at some point, has to end. This will never change. There is an end to everything, and this fact alone should prove the importance of every minute of every single life. Do not fear the end. Every song has high notes, low notes, background music, and lead vocals. And, without each of these vital parts, a song could not possibly be complete. In each life, there are times that we experience high moments, and there are times where we've never felt lower. Sometimes, we must take the back seat and watch someone else become the center of attention. Other times, we must have the courage to speak out and step in front of the rest. Every song has an ending, but does this mean that we shouldn't enjoy each note from the beginning to the end?

Life. Maybe it's just a four letter world. But, when each letter stands alone, it has no meaning. However, when put together in the right order, it means EVERYTHING.