i am living the life that i've imagined.

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 false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a 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 have lived. this is to have succeeded! -- r.w. emerson

a note from my brother that i want to remember:

I can actually remember bits and pieces, all those years ago, the day you came home. Dad bought me a blue Tonka airplane. He said it was a gift from you for being your brother. I remember being mystified by this little baby knowing exactly what I wanted. I'm not sure I believe anymore that's how it worked out (Mom ...carrying you through the aisles of Toys "R" us, and you poking a finger through your blankets to point) but I do know this - you are so much more than that blue Tonka airplane, and I LOVED that blue Tonka airplane.

and in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. it's the life in your years.
-- a. lincoln