"The Dash"

I read of a pastor who stood to speak
At a funeral of his friend.
He referred to the date on her tombstone
From begining......... to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke of the following date with tears,
But 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 how only those who loved her
Know what the 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.
You could be as "dash mid-range".

If we could just slow down long enough
To consider what's true and real,
And always try to understand,
How 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 pleased with the things they say
About how your spent your "dash"?