Success

 

"What we have lacked in money and brilliance, we have tried to make up in service."

Image courtesy/Medium

I was told to go into a certain community and get the story
 of the most successful people in it.

"There are no successes there," I said,  Just ordinary people; not one
of whom has contributed to the progress of the world. I can get no
story there worth anything as an inspiration to others."

Then came the reply: "Surely someone has lived a clean life, has good
friends, and the love of family. Such a one must have contributed
something of good to others."

Rearranging my standard of "success" to include something besides
accumulated wealth-achieved ambition of a spectacular sort-I thought of
Grandpa and Grandma Culver, poor as church mice, but a fine old couple,
loved by everybody and loving everybody.  Home mean't something to
their children who return there year after year. I went to see them.

Reunion

Dianne Dengel

Painting courtesy/Fine Art America

"No," Grandma told me over the jelly she was making for the sick.
"Pa and I never have been well-off in money, but, oh, so very rich in
 love of each other, of family and friends.  We've tried to see every 
  little submerged virtue in each other, in the children, and in everybody.
I had the gift of cheerfulness; Pa had patience; we cultivated these traits.

Every day we have tried to be of little use to somebody, never turning down
a single opportunity to help someone to a glimpse of things worthwhile.
What we have lacked in money and brilliance, we have tried to make up in service."

But ever the world has let flash of more dazzling successes
 blind it to the value of such lives as these.

"Success"
(October 1922)
Laura Ingalls Wilder
(1867-1957)
From the book, "Little House In The Ozarks
A Laura Ingalls Wilder Sampler
The Rediscovered Writings"
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Edited by Stephen W. Hines
Guideposts Edition
(1991)