'THE DASH' PREGNANT WITH MEANING

February 04

"THE DASH" by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on her tomb
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. (1934-1998)

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
Live we've never loved before.

And 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 you 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?
((THE DASH by Linda Ellis. www.lindaslyrics.com)

It boils down to the fact that 'the heart that gives, gathers'.
Joy shared joy redoubled, and sorrow shared, sorrow halved.