[dogwood]

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
Spoke the following with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years
(1904- 2003)
For that dash represented 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
Show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we have never loved before
If we treat each other with respect,
and more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might last but a little while.
So when your eulogy's being read
Life's actions to rehash...
Would you be proud of the things they say
About the way you spent your dash?

[anderson]

Thank you so much for the blessing of the poem. and remembering the dash is for many things for the living