Write on your hearts

that every day

is the best day

of the year.

To laugh often and much;

to win the respect of 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 even one life

has breathed easier

because you have lived.

THIS IS TO HAVE SUCCEEDED.

poems by: Ralph Waldo Emerson

Beacon of Hope Painting by Thomas Kinkade, Painter of Light