The Dash Poem by Linda Ellis

In my February newsletter, I shared my reflection on trying not to focus so much on “the before” & “the future” at the expense of living the now, the present, between the beginning and the end, the dash between two moments. Here is a poem that encourages us to be in the moment…fully present.

I read of a man who stood to speak At the funeral of a friend He referred to the dates on the tombstone From the beginning…to the end He noted that first came the date of 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 they spent alive on earth. And now only those who loved them 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 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?