I am lost without your help…

I was asked: Multiple Sclerosis what is the one thing that you cannot live without?  I pondered this perplexing puzzle for a few minutes.  I suppose that this question is genuinely up for interpretation.  Otherwise, most people might just say that family is the most essential thing in their MS world.

This question is impossible for me to answer.  I cannot specify one thing alone that I could not live without.  Of course, I would say, friends, church family, and family, but none of these are things as the question states.  I would say that my current friends are the cornerstone of my life.  The Veterans Administration is also not technically an object, but it has been vital to my existence.      

As for the irreplaceable items in my life, there is a bountiful list.  Let me start with my wheeled chariot.  Without this magical manual mechanism, I would be bedridden and merely be waiting for the end.  It helps me stay active by requiring me to propel myself from one place to another.  It is essential to keep the body in motion, and my chair demands that I do just that.

My microwave helps me to keep my independence.  This happens because this technology allows me to cook the sustenance that I need to stay alive.  I do not have to try and see down into it meaning that my microwave cooks at my eye level.  I have even figured out how to cook dry pasta and not merely reheat in it, I love spaghetti.

My smartphone and internet banking are essential for keeping my self-reliance.  I am a private person with lousy handwriting.  Internet banking eliminates the need for writing checks to pay my bills.  It also means that I do not need to wait for my monthly statement to verify my banking activity.

My computer and smart technology are both paramount to my true freedom.  When items are connected to my smartphone or computer, it means that they can be done safely.  It also says that these tasks are simple to complete.  The fact that they are Wi-Fi connected means that I can be anywhere in the world as long as there are internet and Wi-Fi. 

Music of all genres is vital to my total well-being.  With no music the silence of my house is deafening.  As I roll around my house, I do not merely want the noise of the television.  I enjoy the rhythmic and melodious sounds of music echoing through the house.

The community center swimming pool and my swim instructor are imperative to my life.  It has been said that people do not count for this query because they are not things.  However, in this case, I am putting my instructor in the category of tools and not people.  The pool has made me a stronger person both physically and mentally.  This strengthening ensures that my daily tasks are possible for both my brain and body.  My instructor taught me how to use the pool fitness equipment to build the muscles that I depend on daily.

Although not things my fortitude and tenacity are fundamental to my existence.  My attitude and ability to adapt and overcome the adversities before me have made me a better person.  It has made every breath that I take exceptional and worth having.

These are just a few of the things that I cannot live without.  As you can see if any one of these items were not in my life it would be a sad existence.  Instead of giving one item I have shared one list so in the spirit of the question I have answered it correctly.