Dust in the wind

This was a moving article, with a quote that jumped out at me:

All of our accomplishments are few. All of our accomplishments are minor: my scribblings, his book, the best lines of the best living poets. We embroider away at our tiny tatters of insight as though the world hung on them, when it is chiefly we ourselves who hang on them. Often a dog or cat with none of our advanced skills can offer more comfort to our neighbor than we can. (Think: Would you rather live with Shakespeare or a cute puppy?) Each of us has the ability to give only a little bit of joy to those around us.

The author was responding to "Far from the Tree", a book about special-needs and exceptionally-gifted children, and the "burden" that their parents bear. Her Down-Syndrome daughter, she argues, brings her much more joy than any of her work or other pursuits.