Are You Living Your Dash?

It isn’t often that you read something that stops you in your tracks, but that’s exactly what happened when I read The Dash Poem by Linda Ellis. I knew I had to share this poem with all of you –

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 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 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.

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 still can be rearranged.

To 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 lived your dash?

Wow. Truthfully, I had to read the poem several times before I fully grasped it all!

One of my favorite parts is how hopeful the poem is. We still have time to change our dash, and we have the power to make those changes. We can choose to be kinder, more open, and more loving to those around us. We have the power to choose happiness for our dash.

So, as you go about your day, I challenge you to ask yourself, are you living your best dash? And if you’re not, that’s ok! You have the power to make positive changes.

Until next time…we are Advoco, make every minute count.

By Linda Ellis, Copyright © Inspire Kindness, 1996, thedashpoem.com.

About Molly: Molly Hallman is our Engagement & Experience Coordinator, helping the marketing team with all things writing related, websites, social media, and events. When she’s not telling the Advoco story, she’s spending time with her dogs and her husband in pursuit of Greenville’s best hot dog (current favorite: the mac and cheese dog from the Greenville Drive Stadium.) Got a question for Molly? Send her an email!