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 the date of her birth;
the date that followed brought tears.
But he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.

That dash represents all of the time
that she spent alive on earth...
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,
(You could be at 'dash mid-range').

If we could just slow down enough
to consider what's true and real,
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.

To be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more.
To love the people in our lives
like we've never loved before.

We'd treat each other with respect,
and more often wear a smile.
Remembering that this special dash
will only last a while.

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?