Living In the 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 those years. (l900-l970)

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.

And more often wear 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?