![]() Start living your life for today, and let this poem remind you to live, to love, and to make the most of your dash. ![]() This is why it’s critical to live every day like it could be our last because we never know when that final day will come. The unfortunate part is not knowing how many we have left. We have a certain amount of sunrises and sunsets. Cherish every minute you have with your loved ones, be kind to others, and give back when you can. Take time to realize how many things in your life you have that you are thankful for. Sometimes we forget to be gratefulfor what we have in life: our family, our friends, our health. Often these simple things are right in front of our eyes - the laugh of our children, time spent with friends, or a sunrise or sunset. The dash is how you make a difference for yourself and the world from the beginning to the end.Īs a whole, people need to step back and appreciate the simple things in life that bring us happiness and joy. It encompasses everything about you, who you are, who you loved, and who loved you. What matters is what’s in between those dates - the dash. Those two days are the shortest days of your entire life. When you die, there are two dates on your tombstone, the date you were born and the date you died. Calls were coming in from all over about Lindas’ poem. The on-air personality read the poem on the air, and it became an instant hit. She took a copy of the finished poem and on a lark faxed it (yes, that’s right she faxed it) to a syndicated Atlanta radio show. ![]() So Linda decided to sit down and put paper to pen (this was 1996 after all), and she wrote The Dash. Linda thought to herself, “This is it? This is all we get?” To Linda, there were too many people trying to make a living and not enough people trying to make a life. A strict work environment where everyone was always on edge. The story goes that Linda was working in corporate America at a big corporation under conditions that most of us can identify with. I’m not sure what rock I’ve been living under, but it took me until today to discover this thought-provoking yet straightforward poem. Linda Ellis ( Does “The Dash” poem help you through a time of grief and to encourage you to live your life on your terms and to the fullest capacity? Let us know how poems such as this and poetry in general has allowed you to better process your feelings through times of transition and encourage you to re-evaluate your life.In 1996 Linda Ellis wrote a poem called The Dash. 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? If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile…remembering that this special dash might only last a little while. To be less quick to anger and show appreciation more and love the people in our lives like we’ve never loved before. 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. What matters is how we lived and loved and how we spend our dash. He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke of the following date with tears but said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.įor 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.įor it matters not, how much we own, the cars…the house…the cash. He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning…to the end. I read of a man who stood to speak at a funeral of a friend. If you’re looking for a poem to help express your feelings during a time of loss of a loved one, The Dash might help you through this time. It is not only a reflection of the life of the person lost but also a reminder for the reader to live their own ‘dash’ to the fullest. Ellis’ poem speaks to the listener about the value of the ‘dash’ that is between the birth date and date of their passing. One of those important periods is celebrating life after death where we are able to reflect on the life of a lost loved one, their experiences and their relationship with those who were touched by their life.Ī poem which exemplifies understanding the relationship of celebrating the life lived is “The Dash” by Linda Ellis. Poetry is one of our most powerful ways to expressing ourselves as individuals and groups so it comes at no surprise that it often will play a fundamental part of lifes important events.
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