"Get A Life!"

This was a familiar refrain back in the day. It was most often used as a response to a complaint about something, intending to indicate that the complainer had less value to their existence than the complainee.

So, here's something else I don't know. What makes "a life?". Now I know how life is defined, and I know the countries that have the lowest and highest life expectancy - but is just meeting the criteria of living "a life"? Can a person have a life if there is very little of them in it? To that point, I provide example A - ME. Last night. This was my evening: Get home from work, pee (I drink a lot of water), seek out my children for hugs, make dinner, eat dinner, watch a little "Happy Feet" with the kids, put them to bed, and veg out for the next two hours in front of the TV. Hubby is there too (heretofore to be known as T), but there is very little conversation between us. (That's a whole, 'nother LONG story - another day, my friends). Then I go to bed.

Does that constitute as "a life"? I didn't do anything miraculous. I didn't do anything heinous. I didn't do anything that will have a ripple affect and eventually change the world. I didn't do anything dangerous. I didn't do anything exciting. I didn't do anything noteworthy.

If this were anyone else's story, I'd think that this was a fantastic breeding ground for discontent. There are days that it is. However, underneath it all, I spent time with my family, I taught them - about healthy food - about manners - about responsibility - about time management. At the end of their evening - mine was made. It's simple really - sweet little "I love you's" to me, make a life.

Of course, if that was enough, I'd have no other questions, right? Am I selfish for wanting more for me? Does "having a life" count if it's not your own life?

As for the answers, life is primarily defined by the quality that distinguishes from dead or inorganic organisms, such as growth, metabolism, and response to stimuli. The country with the highest life expectancy is Andorra, the country with the lowest is Swaziland (between 33-34 years of age!)