On August 19, William Jefferson Clinton turns 69. The nation's 42nd president is known as an eloquent and skilled communicator, writer and storyteller. In his book, My Life, he wrote:
I learned a lot from the stories my uncle, aunts and grandparents told me: that no one is perfect but most people are good; that people can't be judged by their worst or weakest moments; that harsh judgements can make hypocrites of us all; that a lot of life is just showing up and hanging on; that laughter is often the best, and sometimes the only response to pain.
Perhaps most important, I learned that everyone has a story - of dreams and nightmares, hope and heartache, love and loss, courage and fear, sacrifice and selfishness. All my life I've been interested in other people's stories. I wanted to know them, understand them, feel them. When I grew up into politics, I always felt the main point of my work was to give people a chance to have better stories.
In honor of the former president's 69th birthday, click to this Parade.com story and read some of his greatest quotes.