Something

The three grand essentials of happiness are: Something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for.

 This quote is attributed to Allan K. Chalmers, Joseph Addison and George Washington Burnap,but no matter who said it, it rings true.

As important as it is to be able to pay the bills, stay warm and have enough to eat, once I get past that, I need to feel something.

Something to do can be as simple as a hobby, or volunteering, or a job that pays. It needs to be enjoyable, or feel worthwhile.

Something to love really resonates with me. Love is one of those emotions that feeds the giver so much more than the recipient and I really don't think it matters what is loved, a dog, a friend, a child, a yard, even money, if you love it it feeds you.

Hope is the icing on the cake and perhaps the hardest one to come by if you are older, or poor, or sick. It is also a strangely complicated diverse thing. I think of it as something to look forward to, which can be as simple as knowing someone will call me, or waiting for a new book to come out, or being excited about doing something. Whatever it is, causes an upsurge of feeling that breaks the monotony of living.

Something, as generic as it sounds, is all that stands between joy and despair. A simple little something makes a person get out of bed rather than contemplate never getting up.