Curious question. Let's take it easy. The word life is one of the most beautiful expressions that we repeatedly pronounce in daily conversation. Why? Because we know it very well, because it is inside us and we can not be without it. And if it fails us there we arrive. It is also due to the good or bad customs of not stopping what we have.
And, since when did we enjoy such a pleasant company? The precious gift of life we possess since the advent of the small maternal womb, even more, from the moment of conception. And with the simple fact of birth human beings acquire, in addition to their own lives, something that is essential for acting as citizens: the legal personality, which in turn, gives us dignity and with it the ability to exercise the rights and assume obligations.
Also, with birth we obtain the rich treasure of freedom, freedom of thought, action and conscience, very natural and legal rights that the authorities are obliged not only to respect but also to protect and defend them. This freedom includes, between so many others, the right to study and prepare according to our aptitudes and tastes, and to perform in any work activity. And, why not form our own heritage?
Returning to the word life, we can conceptualize it as a succession of acts - let's call them heterogeneous - joyful and satisfying some or many, unhappy others; that is, as a path not exempt from pitfalls. Above it, dictionaries abound in definitions. Thus, the Manual of the Spanish Academy of the Language, defines it: "State of activity of organic beings". Another, "Space of time that passes from the birth of an animal or a vegetable to its death". Also, as the way of life, or the duration of things.
But, what do we live for ?, which is the question that heads these notes. Life cost us nothing. We did not even ask for it. That mysterious good is a divine gift. Then we must justify the fact of possessing it freely, how? making our existence useful. We are obliged to correspond to this gift with contributions to society, to humanity, and to Nature itself, which has lovingly sheltered us. For this we have the intellectual capacity, with the strength of will and with perseverance. The task to be fulfilled can be of any order, materially, intellectually or spiritually. Our predecessors - with whom we are indebted - made great inventions, erected immense constructions: cathedrals, bridges, canals; they made machinery and instruments to make man's work easier; they have not ceased in the development and improvement of human communications; they created great literary and artistic works, and devised political and religious creeds, as did Philosophy and Science.
Then, our life should be directed to open and light roads. The very virtuous Mother Teresa of Calcutta left us this reflection: "Life happens only once". In short, life must be to serve, to do good.
