How You Live Your Dash

I have recently attended two cousin's funerals. Both pastors, during their eulogy, spoke of this poem and commended both ladies for living their dash for Christ so well.

This poem was written by Linda Ellis and another cousin, Glenn Ellsworth Ullom Hansen, a newspaper publisher in Rantoul, IL loved Linda's poem so much, that he added it to his wife's, Marguerite "Peg" Clark Hansen (1917-2001), funeral leaflet to be read during her funeral.  Here is Linda, reading her poem on a YouTube video.

How You Live Your 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 her 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 the 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 arranged.

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 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 action to rehash . . .

Would you be proud of the things they say

About how you spent your dash?