This piece addresses the prompt well. However, the first paragraph, in which you address the readers with your own bit of personal philosophy, does not work well. Try to leave philosophizing and moralizing out of the stories. They work much better that way.

You manage to work the commentary into the story at the end, and this works well because you keep it within the context of the story. You include it in conversation, instead offering instruction in your author voice:

"Well, I'm speechless, but I'm glad you are doing fine for yourself. He gave out some smokes to you to show you he wasn't so interested, but you still had to put up with it for two years. Life could be funny at times, but I'm glad you came out of it alive, and that is what matters most," I said to him, and we ended the conversation as I had other things to attend to that day.

It was, otherwise, a good piece. Thank you for sharing it with us.