To laugh often and much;

to win the respect of the intelligent people
and the affection of children;

to earn the appreciation of honest critics

and endure the betrayal of false friends;

to appreciate beauty;

to find the best in others; 

to leave the world a bit better

whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch,
or a redeemed social condition;

to know that one life has breathed easier
because you lived here.

This is to have succeeded

- Ralph Waldo Emerson