But you asked if everyone deserves happiness. I certainly think so. And I don’t think having a short string should make that impossible. If I’ve learned anything from all the stories I’ve read—of love and friendship, adventure and bravery—it’s that living long is not the same as living well. Last night, I looked at my own box for the first time in months. I didn’t open it, but I reread the inscription. The measure of your life lies within. Sure, it’s pointing to the string inside, but maybe that’s not the only measure we have. Maybe there are thousands of other ways we could measure our
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