Your Dash

I know I have said this before, but there are people who are new to my blog (or even to my friends list).   One of the most important things to me is to determine and remind myself of the person I want other people to think I am.

For those of you who have not heard this from me before, please know that I do not mean that I care what people randomly think of me.  There are always going to be people who have negative feelings about you and simply don't like you.

However, I do believe in making a decision in who you want to be.  I have found that people are often disappointed in what people think about them, and don't realize that ALL their actions truely support the people's opinion.  And I have to wonder, "If you don't want to be known for that, why do you act like that?"

Today, the owner of the company I work for shared this poem.  It is a very powerful poem, and really hits home for me. 

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 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 spend your dash?