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That person is a success who...
Bessie Anderson Stanley

(original version often attributed
to Ralph Waldo Emerson)

That person is a success who has lived well,
laughed often and loved much;
who has gained the respect of intelligent people
and the love of children;
who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
who leaves the world better than he found it,
whether by an improved poppy,
a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
who never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty
or failed to express it;
who looked for the best in others
and gave the best that he had.

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