At my daughter's dance class tonight, the director and I had an impromptu chat session with 10 girls ranging from age 11 to 16. The director had stopped the girls mid-dance because she h
ad been troubled recently by the spirit of apathy (for the younger girls) and "boy-crazy drama" (for the older girls) within the group, which is a Christian liturgical dance ensemble. The director spoke to them about valuing themselves and walking the Earth as an example of God's grace, of not succuming to the pressures to have sex, to be popular, to cuss, to dance suggestively, and to be distracted by their life goals. As I sat there listening to them individually speak of the "drama" in their lives - some of them giggly and ditzy and others teary and troubled - I was moved to jump into the conversation and offer my own words on wisdom about staying focused on your goals and not let distractions waylay your dreams. Suddenly I was inspired to tell them about a poem I'd read about how the day of one's birth and one's death are pre-ordained by God and how what we do with our life in between those dates is oh, so important in determining how we will be remembered by those we leave behind. The poem is below:
HOW DO 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 the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
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’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 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’s being read
With your life’s actions to rehash…
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?
Copyright 1996,1998 Visit the author's website:
You should have seen the looks on the girls' faces. "That's deep," was the concensus around the studio. I advised them to live each day, treasure each moment, choose the words they speak, evaluate their friends and boyfriends, and pursue their dreams with their "dash" in mind. No matter how old we are when we die, it's the "dash" that will define us. Hopefully the dancers will absorb my words. But if I have touched one girl, including my daughter, I'm happy.
AJ
