The following is a poem by Linda Ellis and contains her copyright at the end of it. It is a lovely poem about life and death and everything in between.
The Dash
by Linda Ellis
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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 her 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 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 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?
© 1996 All Rights Reserved, Linda Ellis
This entry was posted on Friday, July 28th, 2006
My reason for sharing this poem today is for the many people in my life sphere who are grieving the loss of a loved one…a daughter, a sister, a husband, a wife. May it also serve as a reminder that those we love have a dash as do we ourselves. May this lovely poem be the blessing that I’m sure it’s author meant it to be.
My Precious Life 