HOW DO YOU LIVE YOUR DASH

I know a man who stood to speak
At a funeral of a friend.

He referred to dates on his tombstone
From the beginning to the end

He noted that first came his date of birth,
And spoke the following with tears

But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between the years

For the dash represents all the time
That he spent alive on earth
And only those who loved him
Know what the dash 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?
One never knows how much time is left,
That can still be re-arranged.

If we could slow down enough,
To consider what’s true and real,
And always try to understand
What other people feel.

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’s being read,
With your life’s actions being rehashed,
Would you be proud of the things they say
On how you spent “YOUR DASH”.