As I attended my Great Aunt’s funeral, my brother read this poem below (he did not write it) and I was happy to realize that changing my life to enable me to pet sit was my version of “living my dash” with vitality. Doing something we love, being around happy energy, feeling like I’m making a difference... it’s all good! When I get frustrated about too many ants in the house (which there are right now at the home where I’m currently sitting) or angry at hitting a pot hole the size of Texas (which I did yesterday driving back from a condolence call) or sad because of illness I can’t fix (as I am about a client whose sister is battling a horrible cancer) and so on... I am grateful that I wake up to a cute dog sniffing my face and have good friends who bring me ice cream and I’m healthy!! :-)
"I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
from the beginning…to the end.
He noted that first came the date of birth
and spoke the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.
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For that dash represents all the time
that they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
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.
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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.
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 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?"
