I've learned....a Poem by Maya Angelou

I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today,
life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things:
a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents,
you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.
I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life'.
I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands;
you need to be able to throw some things back.
I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart,
I usually make the right decision.
I've learned that even when I have pains,
I don't have to be one.
I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone.
People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.
I've learned that people will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel.
                                                                                          
                                                                                    -- Maya Angelou
 
Maya Angelou: US author, poet and activist dies aged 86

Poet, author and activist Maya Angelou has died at the age of 86.

One of America's leading literary voices, she made her name with the 1969 memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
It was the first of seven volumes of autobiography that traced her life from a childhood of abuse and oppression in the Deep South in the 1930s.
Her family said: "She lived a life as a teacher, activist, artist and human being. She was a warrior for equality, tolerance and peace."  (BBC News 28/05/2014)