I attended the funeral of a neighbor. And as I sat near the back of the room, I watched in reverent silence as the family grieved together and comforted one another. Surrounding the man's coffin, were dozens of bouquets and floral arrangements. There were tables displaying framed photographs of he and his loved ones. And there was an American flag draped over the front of the long, silver casket, as he was a Vet of the Korean War. I pondered the life he must have led. And then I was struck when the officiating priest read this poem. Perhaps you will take something away from it today.
The Dash
by Linda Ellis
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 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 she spent alive on 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 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 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,
Remember 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?
Comments
Thank you. Love love, Andrew. Bye. Take wonderful and gentle care.