People treat it as though it's everything in the world, but then again, maybe it is.

It's the reason I'm writing this short story, and the reason you're reading it right now. 

It's the reason any of us were able to exist, to feel happiness, joy, and achievement. Yet it's also the reason we're able to feel sadness, anxiety, and anger.

However, despite its complexity, everything must come to an end: life is the reason we die. Without life, there is no death.

It is a common human expression to say that "life is short," but I don't think it's something you fully grasp until you're able to understand the guilt, depression, and deep pain that can come with the most simple of existances.

As a child, it's easy to see the good in things, easy to believe that there is no evil and easy to be naive enough to ignore the war, pain, and suffering that is experienced my millions of human beings around the globe.

In story books, it seems as though life is perfect. Happy families, abudnant resources, and always a happy ending. As one grows more experienced in what it means to live, this facade fades away.

In fact, I remember the moment I realised that life wasn't as amazing as it seemed. I'd been watching the news, listening to all the horror stories about war and poverty and utter despair. Nothing ever seemed to go right in the news. And so I asked my parents, "why is the world getting worse?"

Well, the answer is quite simple: it isn't. I'd just finally grown old enough to realise that it's never been good. 

Life isn't the perfect thing that is depicted in children's stories.

But despite all the sadness, life goes on. Time keeps moving. Minutes are lost.

Even when the your whole world feels like its ending, everyone else's just keeps going.

Even when you feel stuck, everyone keeps moving.

Even when sadness seems to be the only thing you're capable of feeling, happiness might be all others can.

You are the main character in you're own life, yet just another stranger to everyone else.

For example, you're reading this 'poem' about life right now. Maybe you're sitting in bed with the lights off, or are sitting in the park basking in the sun. It could be day or night. Sunshine or rain. You could be happy or sad.

Imagine it this way: A murder. Perhapse you hear about it on television, read it in the local newspaper, or hear about it from a loved one. You may feel some sadness, or for some, reminice on a similar experience. Eventually though, you forget about it, it just becomes another sad story in the world, and life moves on. The people in those stories are simply strangers, and no matter how bad the news was, they don't matter to you. They're not in you're life and everything you know is surrounded by you. But to the families of the murdered, it must feel like the world has collapsed. They could have lost anyone: a friend, a daughter, a husband, or a mother. They may feel anger that the world doesn't stop and acknowledge their pain, that they must continue to go to work and live every day as if it's normal, even though nothing will never be the same again. But life is the reason of murder: one life killed another.

And yet, everything must end.

All 8 billion people who are alive now will one day be replaced by 8 billion more, as the 8 billion before us. It's a never ending cycle of birth, life, and death, and there's nothing anyone can do to change it. 

Someone once asked me, "if life was a video game, would you play?" The rules are simple: the totorial goes for 18 years, you must work tirelessly in order to survive, you don't decide where you're born and what unfair privilages or disadvantages you are given, and you always die at the end.

It was a thought inducing question, because what is a video game without some killing, at least three lives, and the opportunity to play for just the preferred amount of time? It's life.

A fickle thing. Some people love it. Some hate it.

But all in all, I think it's a rather overrated thing.

So I leave you a final question:

What is life to you?

A/N: I haven't uploaded in a very long time, so I decided to write a short story about life? It's not very good because I literally just wrote it like three minutes ago, but I just wanted to upload something so you guys know that there will be more regular updates now, particularly for "The Monster Under My Bed," and "Destiny Between Us." I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year, and I hope you'll stick around for 2026!