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The Dash

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 the 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 is true

and real

And always try to understand the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger and to show appreciation more I’m uncertain how this has occurred but it seems I’m not getting any older. At least this is what a lot of my friends

are saying to me. “You don’t look any older than you did ten years ago” is often a comment. One of my mates (who is twelve years younger than me) and I met up for

a drink recently after a gap of six years. When he saw me, he said “You are obviously going to live past a hundred.” I used to be ...I’ve just this minute realised that writing “I

used to be...” dates me! Oh well! I used to be a risk- taker but now I sit looking at a screen. And I have to us glasses to read books or phone and computer screens.

But I don’t need glasses to see where I’ve hit my golf

(I'm Not) Getting Older

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 you?

And will they talk about your dash?

Dedicated to Dashiell Wilson



January 2016

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