Why I do What I do.

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 friends;

To appreciate beauty,

To find the best in others;

To leave the world a little 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 lived.

This is to have succeeded.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson