DASH

When I entered adulthood, my social calendar was filled with friends’ weddings. Baby showers soon followed. As I waited for my sailor to finish his four-year hitch in the navy, I felt like everyone’s ‘old maid aunt’. Ken and I were the last of our group to marry and start our family. We are now octogenarians who finished 2021 with a month of mourning the passing of loved ones.

It’s fitting that the gatherings to honor these people are called celebrations of life. Our generation raised kids, watched grandchildren grow up and held great-grandbabies. We enhanced communities, accomplished career goals and retired. Our influence continues.

I am thankful for the friends who have been there for us during the good and the bad of our lives. Some I have known for a brief span; others have been around since high school days. It’s surprising what brings a thought to mind and I take a few moments to relive an event we shared. I am sad that our times have ended, but I appreciate what we had.

I’m reminded of the poem, “The Dash,” penned by Linda Ellis in 1996. She noted that a tombstone contains the date of birth and the date of death with a dash in between. The dash represents the individual’s time on earth. The final verse sums it up: “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.”

What will your dash symbolize?