What is the one thing I can’t live without?

Well, that’s a long list!

There’s my family, of course,

My friends, the few people I can call that,

My phone, of course,

My best friend, no surprise there,

My favorite book, always hits a soft spot,

My cross, family gift,

And the list goes on and on.

 

But, if I have to choose.

It wouldn’t be any of those, no offense.

It’s the same thing everyone else can’t live without.

That thing inside that just pushes us,

Takes us to limits we underestimate,

That numbs the pain and heals the wound,

That part of us that won’t be put down,

No matter what.

 

Hope, that’s what I can’t live without.

Cliche, I know, but hear me out.

Here’s my argument:

What makes a guy ask a girl out?

What gives a soldier the bravery to fight on?

What brings the voters to the election polls?

What sparks innovation in people?

What keeps the person at the brink on firm ground?

Hope, the one thing we can’t survive with.

 

Make a counter all you want, you’ll win

In your own way.

It’s love that brings a couple together and a soldier fighting,

It’s fatigue of the same old promises filling the voting booths,

It’s intelligence that sparks a mind and help that keeps people sane.

Right? Only it isn’t.

The guy who gets the nerve to ask the girl he likes out

Is pushed by hope for something more, for that completion

And to stop feeling alone.

That soldier fighting the good fight,

Always hopes he’s doing the right thing,

That he’ll make it home, and that he’s making a difference.

Those voters? Yeah, they’re hoping for some real change.

They’re hoping the “Bern” can do more than voice some concerns.

Those geniuses? They want a new world,

A better one. They’ll hope they get it right this time,

And the next time, and the next time…

They hope to change the world,

Whether its for fame, fortune, or good old morals.

And that person on the brink? My God,

They’d be long gone by now if they didn’t have hope.

 

See hope, is what we can’t live without.

It’s that part of us that is so resilient,

So tough, so stubborn,

That even we can’t understand sometimes.

Hope is what makes people go on with life.

It gives people a reason to live, for something better,

It’s a symbol of that human endurance,

Or rather human stamina,

To roll with the punches,

Even if it feels like cars and trucks.

 

See hope is the one thing I can’t live without,

Because if I can’t hope for something better,

I might as well just lie down and wait for Mistress Death.

Hope is our fire,

It’s what burns inside us and keeps us warm

Through our toughest winters.

It’s what makes Superman keep on fighting

And Batman from killing.

Hope keeps men sane

And keeps them pushing

 

See in the end, everyone has one thing in common,

If not more.

We all hoping for something.

Big or small,

Life-changing or not.

Hope is what I can’t live without,

Because if I didn’t have it,

I’d fall apart.

We all would.

It’s the glue holding our craziness in,

And keeping the bad vibes out.

Hope drives us.

It encourages us.

It feeds us.

Maybe it can do us some harm,

From time to time,

But I’ve yet to see someone

That wished their hope was gone

Without then breaking down

Lost and broken.

 

That’s what is so important

About taking the hits in life,

Because it’s never going to always be a hit.

Life is beautiful that way.

Nothing stays the same

And change is inevitable,

So our failures,

Our pain, our suffering,

Our depression, our loneliness,

Only lasts as long as we allow it to.

 

I can easily say hope is the prelude to everything.

Trust me here.

You don’t love, without hoping that you can go further.

You can’t be excited, without hoping it’ll always be like this.

You can’t cry, without praying things will change.

You can’t give up, without hoping things didn’t turn out this way.

Even in our darkest hour, hope is there.

I can’t live without hope

Because the second I do,

That light inside me is gone.

The second any of us do,

That’s when our light burns out

And trust me, it’s all downhill from there.

 

Hope, is what I can’t live without,

Because after all, life without hope,

Is just giving up.