What makes for a better life?

In one of my doctoral classes, an old professor of mine said: "No matter what your position in life, you have the opportunity to be a powerful influence on the lives of other people." This raced me back to a time in my youth when I used to argue with someone whom I call "the boy who was old for his age."

One time, I commented on the new clothes he was wearing that his mother bought as a birthday present. Definitely, I was seething with envy, though I did not show it, or so I thought. The "boy who was old for his age" replied, "What is important is that you have something decent to wear." "Oh, but you also have a pair of new shoes, while I just have what I inherited from my older brother who in turn got them from our eldest," I blurted with a voice truly filled with envy. He looked at me and casually said: "Wait till you see a boy with no feet."

That was the last of our little-boys' talks.

In memory of that once-upon-a-time school mate of mine (I do not know where he is now), I have here my.....

WHAT MAKES FOR A BETTER LIFE?

What makes for a better life?
A beautiful house, a luxury car?
Not if it makes you an unreachable star!

What makes for a better life?
Glittering jewels, a fat bank account?
Not if it makes you tactless and blunt!

What makes for a better life?
A fruit-laden orchard, a huge tract of land?
Not if it makes you odious, no one can stand!

A home that's happy, cozy and warm;
Makes for a wonderful life -
one filled with charm!

A home where joy and laughter abound;
Makes for a life that's lovely -
sunny, and grand!

Better is the life where peace resides,
with healthy children, beautiful and bright;
A simple meal is a sumptuous feast
for the rich and poor, alike.

Better is the life where love reigns true -
where happiness permeates the air;
Where a palm-thatched hut is truly a home
while a loveless mansion - a lion's lair.

What makes for a better life, then?
Things of fancy, things that glow?
Not if it turns the heart into a stone
unmindful of the morning dew!