Start the New Year – By being Thankful, Grateful, Patient, Charitable, Kind, and with a Smile, as it is infectious and costs nothing!
Today, I share a poem by Linda Ellis, written in 1996, that I used in my mother’s eulogy. As we head into the New Year in a somewhat tumultuous world, I feel it is appropriate.
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 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?
Point to Ponder: Overview – “The poem uses the ‘dash’ symbol between birth and death dates on a tombstone to represent the entirety of a person’s life. It emphasizes that the quality of that life – how we love, connect, and treat others – is far more important than its duration or material possessions, urging listeners to live their own ‘dash’ meaningfully.”
Have a Safe, Healthy, and Happy New Year’s!
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