There are many theories about the meaning of life, but I think it comes down to two simple things: love and work. Love doesn’t have to be perfect, and work doesn’t have to be successful. It’s enough to love and feel loved, and to do something that matters to you. Loving a partner, a child, a friend, a parent. Feeling connected to someone. And then having a task, something you do each day that has value for you.

Everything else can be missing and you can still stay on your feet. You can have little money, live far away, or feel lost, but if you have love and something you enjoy doing, you have a solid base. If both things fail, everything shakes. There’s not much mystery. People need to feel they matter to someone and that what they do has some kind of meaning.