Words to Live By
PS Magazine September October Issue “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.” While often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson or Robert Louis Stevenson or Hallmark, it was actually written by Bessie Stanley in 1904…I think. I have the readers digest version painted on walls all over my house, “live well, laugh often, love much.” I’ve even used it as the toast at 5 different marriages. While I would like to know who really wrote it in order to give credit where credit is due, the important part is the words