The Dash

Some of the most inconsequential things are often the most thought provoking. Have you been to a cemetery lately? There is something on every single monument that we never really consider. No, it isn’t the name, or even the dates . . . it is that little mark in between the dates. The “dash”. Yes, it is nice to know when that person was born and when they died, but what is more important is the life they lived in between those dates.

What did they do with their time here on earth? How did they spend those years? What did they accomplish? Who did they effect? Did they make a difference to someone? Are they remembered? The “dash”. It can cover a few days for an infant or over a hundred years for others. Some of us get a long “dash”, others are not so fortunate.

What are you doing with your “dash”? In hindsight, I wish I had done a lot of things with my “dash”. But I can’t go back, I can only go forward. So knowing that my “dash” is mostly behind me, I need to take advantage of that which is yet to come. Should I make a grand plan to change the world? Maybe. Or should I just throw in the towel and ease out of life?

Does your “dash” equal kindness, generosity, helpfulness, patience? Or is it filled loss, restlessness, unfulfilled dreams, distress. We have no control over the “dates” on our tombstone, but we have absolute control over our “dash”.

All this has made me think deeply about what I want to accomplish with the time I have left. What can I do to make my “dash” memorable? If my “dash” has changed one life for the better, then I would consider it a success. If my “dash” has brought my community closer together, that, too, is a success. If I can make a small difference somewhere, sometime . . . then I was successful.

But that “dash” doesn’t come without effort, trials, and long term endurance. Sometimes the “dash” is filled with pain, despair, loss, fear, helplessness. None of us seek out those things. Life happens and we are often caught in the middle. But we do get to choose how we react to those situations. And our reaction is what sometimes makes our “dash” memorable.

Will we be remembered for all time? Probably not. By the time our great-great-grandchildren come along, we will just be a monument in the cemetery with a dash in the middle. But if my “dash” makes a difference in one life now, and that is passed on to someone else, hopefully they, in turn, will pass it on to the next generation. People maybe forgotten but their actions are never lost.

So what are you going to do with your “dash”? Will you fill your days with playing solitaire (guilty), or will you decide to change something, create a masterpiece, encourage someone, help another in time of need? It isn’t the big things that make the most difference, it is an accumulation of small things . . . kind words, pat on the back, a helping hand, a smile. All those little things add up over time. Eventually they become big things that can change the world.

Looking back over my own life, I had many who encouraged me to try things, to go to school, to expand my horizons, to develop my talents, to be the best I could be. Without them, my “dash” would be rather empty. At the time, in the middle of the struggle, I didn’t always appreciate their presence or advice. But today, looking back, I thank God for each and every one of them. They made me better, stronger, and wiser than I ever thought I could be. Your “dash” can do that for someone in your life. You can make a difference that will be passed on to the next generation. Grow to your full potential, pass it on, pay it forward, make a difference. Life is short. Make your “dash” count!

Just writin' on the River Road