The Dash
I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on his tombstone
From the beginning to the end.
He noted that first came the date of his birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years for that dash represents
all the time that he spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved him know what that
little line is worth. For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash, what matters is how we
live and love and how we spend our dash.
So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
that can still be rearranged. 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 special dash
might only last 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 how you spent your dash?
