So those of you who follow my blog know about Matt Mullin. Here is what I wrote a few months ago, just after he died.
“Matt signed all his emails and letters with live well, laugh often, love much. It was more than a closing, more than just a motto. It was how he lived. Honestly, I don't even know where to begin this post, I already know I will not do Matt justice. All I really know, is that he came into my life for a reason-- and luckily, I figured that out the moment I met him, not the moment he died. Matt used to say, "lose the morning, lose the day". He made the most of every day-- and truthfully, I'm not sure he would have any regrets about his life...How many of us could say that? I, am certainly not one of them, yet.
In so many ways, Matt reminded me of Ben, my brother. He was funny, he was genuine, he was engaging. He reminded me of someone YOU would want to be friends with. You'd want him in your life forever, and you'd probably realize that, like me, within minutes of meeting him. Losing him, would feel like the world has lost someone, not just you. And it has. I also know that through Matt's loss...the world has gained. I think for a lot of us-- it takes losing someone, like Matt, who lived every day as fully as one could-- to realize, that THAT is what life is about. It’s not the small things (or maybe it is, because some small things, unlike others, DO matter). But not the smalls stuff. Don't sweat the small stuff. Enjoy the little things, live for today, because it really is, the only thing we'll ever have. And those of us lucky enough to have had Matt in our lives, know that we have one heck of a lead to follow.”
There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t think about Matt and how he lived his life. He embodied “live well, laugh often, love much”. I have been wondering where Matt got that quote from, obviously it meant a lot to him, and now means a lot to those who knew him. So, I googled it, and this poem is what I found. It stunned me. It’s right on…as if it was written about Matt. And in away, I’m sure it was. It’s about all the Matts of the worlds—the people who live their lives to the very fullest, and who leave a lasting impression on all who have come into contact with them. The title of the poem is Success.
Success
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.
--1904 Bessie Anderson Stanley
