The Dash

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tombstone from the beginning…to the end.
He noted that first came the date of her birth and spoke of the second date with some tears;
But he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

For that dash represented all the time that she’d spent alive on the earth
And now only those who loved her know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not how much we own; the cars, the house, the cash.
What matters most is how we live and love – it’s how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard. Are there things you’d like to change?
For one never knows how much time is left – you could be at dash ‘mid range’.
If we could just slow down enough to consider what’s true and real,
And always try to understand the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger and show appreciation more,
And love the people in our lives like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile…
Remembering that this dash lasts just a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read with your life’s actions to rehash,
Would you be proud of the things they say about the way you spent your dash?

By Linda Ellis

This is a poem that originally was read at my Grandma's funeral. Everyone in my family has a copy of this poem somewhere. I like to live my life remembering my dash.