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A difficult premise without feeling guilty about the things in life you have become accustomed to when so many people struggle to survive from day-to-day.

One of the most important things in life are family; the unconditional love that is given without asking for anything in return. You can go through life with support never asked for but always given; there is an assumption that the family is the most important key to a well-balanced life.

Family can be anybody close to you, it doesn't have to be restricted to the traditional restraints of Father, Mother and children either, it can be anyone you feel has a strong connection to you. We all feel we have the right to be cared for by others through our lives, to share the common experience of life itself.

My life has a definite criteria that some things will be provided for; basic human rights that all should be catered for - the first would be shelter. It seems a cruel joke that millions of people around the world do not have adequate living quarters in the 21st century, one of the great travesties of our time.

Linked with this go food and water, quite how food shortages exist when there is food being destroyed in EU food storage facilities has to be considered a criminal act. From a privileged society we expect a daily food supply from well-stocked stores giving us choice beyond belief. Not only that but a clean and constant water supply on-tap whenever we desire.

To exist in this life of luxury we use electricity, that endless supply to light and heat our homes, enable us to watch TV, use the Internet and listen to music to entertain us in our comfortable lives. Now guilt really tries to enter the argument when you start to dwell on what we have, watch the News and you get a quick dose of the shocking "reality" that many people live in.

The health-care system in the UK caters for everyone, all citizens are entitled to medical care without charge. It's difficult to imagine life without it; it might not always be a perfect system but if you need it it'll be there for you without question. A country without any real provision for health-care is a hard thing to imagine indeed, if the people aren't cared for then what culture do you have?

Having rights and the ability to have a voice are also something that not everyone can claim to have, we can moan and feel aggrieved about some issues that affect us but we have that right no matter what the subject. It can be over-looked what an almighty effort it's been to have these rights incorporated into our daily life.

One thing that does get forgotten is stability, many nations are war-torn, destroyed by conflict when other nations are pristine lands without the threat of imminent annihilation. The threat is a real one for any country but we can get into a false sense of security a little too easily when things appear to be going good.

I can feel very fortunate to have these things pretty much all the time and expect them but I'm also wise enough to realise it wouldn't take much to lose it all either.

Learn more about this author, Wayne Reeves.
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