Stacie's Dilemma -- Emerson's Response

Stacie's troubling experience at the retirement home reminds me of the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson. I keep a copy of this quote on my refrigerator to remind me of what is truly important. I wish that the unhappy girl in her group could read this and learn to live by its wisdom:

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.
Ralph Waldo Emerson