What It Means to Be Alive

What does it truly mean to be alive?
To me, the essence of life is found in sound and scent.
Living beings move—and movement creates sound.
Sound, in turn, releases scent.
And through these, we encounter others.
Each of us carries our own unique sound and scent.
Cemeteries are silent.
There is no sound, no scent.
In some rural towns, the laughter and cries of children are fading.
It’s a quiet sign that life is slowly slipping away.
In many cities, the fresh air and fragrant smells are disappearing too.
Now is the time to bring back the sounds.
To revive the scents.
Because that’s how we stay alive.