This past weekend, I was in my hometown of Annapolis, MD. It had been a few years since I’d been there, as much as I love that charming town. After losing my parents in 2010 and 2011, I decided it was too difficult to visit a place I loved so much without the people I loved being there. 

But this visit was different. I was with a close friend, providing a “highlights” tour of my life. One of the first stops was at the U. S. Naval Academy where my parents cremains reside in the Columbarium.

There’s something very sobering about seeing loved ones’ names on a grave marker. Many of you have experienced it and understand. My eyes lingered on the “dash” between the dates of each of their lives. Images of each parent and experiences of a lifetime flipped quickly through my mind, and I shook my head, once again astounded at the brevity of life. 

This beautiful poem, “The Dash,” by Linda Ellis came to mind. Perhaps you’ve heard it read at a funeral; perhaps the words are new to you. But I hope you’ll take a few minutes and reflect on these words as they apply to your own life.

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 tombstone
from the beginning…to the end. 

He noted that first came the date of her birth
and spoke of the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years. 

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.
(You could be at “dash midrange.”) 

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’s being read
with your life’s actions to rehash…
would you be proud of the things they 
say about how you spend your dash?

——————-
It’s a great question for each of us: “How well am I living my dash?” While we can’t redo our yesterdays, we can be intentional about how we spend our todays and tomorrows. 

Make today count. Make tomorrow count.

Resolve to live your dash well.

That’s a decision you’ll never regret.

The painting is entitled “Spa Creek” (Annapolis) by noted plein air artist Bill Schmidt.