Celebrating Dick Young's Life...

In February, Steve and I traveled to Yuba City, to be a part of our friend's 85th birthday celebration. While we were in Alaska, Dick had a fall and for various reasons, the world lost a pretty cool guy.

Today, in Tahoe, we attended the first of two Celebrations of Life. While there, the poem The Dash by Linda Ellis was read. If you haven't read it before, or in awhile, I'm sharing it with you here and I want you to know that I'm so happy you're a part of my 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 her date of her birth
And spoke the following date with tears,

But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those 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’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 is being read
With your life’s actions to rehash

Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

posted under |

1 comments:

Kim said...

Thank you Denise, We all loved Dick and will miss him terribly. What a nice tribute your article is. ~Kim Harris

Post a Comment

Newer Post Older Post Home

Get new Blog Posts to your inbox. Just enter name and email below.

 

We respect your email privacy

Blog Archive


Recent Comments