Musings Archive

Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much (06/09)

"To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one's self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - this is to have succeeded." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

I would have liked to have known Mr. Emerson. He had a passion for thought and contemplation. It would have been marvelous to sit in on a discussion with him and his contemporaries and have my head filled with the myriad of ideas and opinions held by people that enjoyed the bliss of engaging the mind. Listening to that would have been delicious, although Mr. Emerson did stress that one should “take action and interact with the world; do not become the recluse thinker commenting from afar.” Darn.

Alright, Mr. Emerson, perhaps the internet is “commenting from afar,” but it’s the perfect medium for a listener!

We live well. We are not financially rich, by any stretch of the imagination, but I found my soul mate 29 years ago, we have the two most awesome children in the universe, a roof over our heads, food to eat, and cars to drive (although one’s air is caput and in Florida, that is hell on wheels).

We laugh often and hard. My family, close and extended, contains extremely clever and witty people, so laughing is an abundant commodity here.

We love much, in so many ways that it would fill a book, so we’ll leave it at that.

The last phrase in Mr. Emerson’s quote is what I embrace the most – “to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived - this is to have succeeded." If one looks at one’s life, I believe it would be very hard to not find one instance of aiding someone else’s life journey. Have you ever left a larger than normal tip for someone? Have you ever opened a door for someone, let them go first, given a present to a teacher, donated time and/or money to a cause, just listened when it was needed most? The list can go on forever…

I suppose we’ve all succeeded, then. Thank you, Mr. Emerson.