How will you spend YOUR dash?

I'm not sure if any of you have heard and/or read the poem by Linda Ellis titled "The Dash," but it is arguably one of the most provocative and influential pieces of poetry that I can remember reading. I will list it here:

The Dash Poem
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 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 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?
© 1996 Linda Ellis

I want to challenge all of us to look into our own lives and determine how we will spend our dash. Will it be wasted on worrying on things that we can't control? Will it be damaged by superficial fights with those closest to us? Or will it be spent and exhausted by loving and caring for those with every piece of ourselves? It is a tough thought that many of us will eventually have to face. As Will Smith in his movie Seven Pounds once said, "live life abundantly." Now I am posing the same challenge to any one who comes across this blog. So, how do you want to be remembered? How do you want to spend your dash?