Kitty's Blog: Columbia International Festival

How Do You Live Your 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 her date of birth,

and spoke the following date with tears.
But he said what mattered most of all

was the dash between the years.
For that dash represented

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 would 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 is 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 with a smile,
Remembering that this special dash

might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy's being read,

with your life's actions to rehash,
Would you be proud of the things they say

about how you spent your dash?

Author Unknown
(Thanks to my friend Fae Diandra for sharing this with me.)

Kitty's Blog