NaeNae's blog: "Stuff"

POEM – THE DASH
This poem was written by Linda Ellis. 
She wrote it while working at a company with a tense working environment.  She saw people’s priorities were messed up.
 The bosses and her fellow employees were worrying far too much about what seemed to be unimportant in the larger scope of life. 
A letter was sent around her office written by a wife of an employee who was dying.  Her words were: “Regrets?  I have a few.  Too much worrying!
 I worried about finding the right husband, and having children, being on time, being late and so on.
It all works out and would have worked out without the worries or fears.  If only I would have known then, what I know now.  We all are going to die. 
Stop worrying, start loving and living.”


The Dash – 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?