Remembering a poem from my undergrad days and realising how much it makes me think of Michael.
Success by Bessie Stanley - 1905
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.
"Bessie Anderson Stanley (1879 - 1952), a resident of Kansas, wrote this for a magazine contest that asked, "What constitutes success?” Her entry won first place. Bessie's words are often erroneously attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson and Robert Louis Stevenson, and often paraphrased, but this is the original version."
Looking back on those college discussions, I seem to remember most of the emphasis being on the suppression of women's voices. Which is fair enough. Now I can appreciate it for itself. She wrote this in 1905 which is evident in her use of language or some of the ideas. But I think it's rather lovely and describes Michael very well.