I came across this timeless poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson (who wrote poetry in the 1800’s):
This is my wish for you;
Comfort on difficult days,
smiles when sadness intrudes,
rainbows to follow the clouds,
laughter to kiss your lips.
Sunsets to warm your heart,
hugs when spirits sag,
beauty for your eyes to see,
friendships to brighten your being.
Faith so that you can believe,
confidence for when you doubt,
courage to know yourself,
patience to accept the truth,
Love to complete your life.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
This is my wish for you. What lovely sentiments that we can hold in our thoughtful intentions for the loved ones in our lives, including ourselves. 🙂
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love this kristine
I have a friend whose mother says that “doing the dishes is a good time for praying”, and this poem would be a wonderful prayer for looking out the window with our hands in warm soapy water, and as you note, include ourselves in the hope.
Love that! I think praying can happen just about any time during the day so hey, why not when you’re doing dishes! Thanks for the response, Gurlie!
Bessie A. Stanley actually wrote this poem. Not the famous Ralph Waldo Emerson
When I tried to source this, I found the poem “Success” by Bessie Anderson Stanley. It is a poem that is often attributed to Emerson or to Robert Louis Stevenson, but it is different than the poem in this post.
It reads as follows:
Success by
Bessie Anderson Stanley
He has achieved success
who has lived well,
laughed often, and loved much;
who has enjoyed the trust of
pure women,
the respect of intelligent men and
the love of little children;
who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
who has left the world better than he found it
whether by an improved poppy,
a perfect poem or a rescued soul;
who has never lacked appreciation of Earth’s beauty
or failed to express it;
who has always looked for the best in others and
given them the best he had;
whose life was an inspiration;
whose memory a benediction.