Thursday, September 26, 2013

Arlene Hanlon

My friend, the MCAS coordinator, died recently at age 64. Her family gave us a great Emerson quote.

"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."

All positive, but not cloying - just the one little negative bit, enduring the betrayal of false friends, which Arlene never shared. I saw her happy to see the best in her fellow human beings, always optimistic that the teenagers would cooperate for their own good.

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