How You Live Your Dash

My grandma's brother died last Sunday.

I have great memories of going to his house in Flagstaff to hang out, quad ride, feed the horses, sled and play in the snow. He taught us how to play the card game 31 - which is still one of my favorites. He taught me to put my thumbs up when crossing a cattle guard so I wouldn't get hit by the person sitting next to me. I swear he knew where every cattle guard was in Flagstaff, and he hit hard! :-)

Uncle Elmer and Aunt June's house. Wil and I went to see it on a recent trip to Flagstaff.

My younger cousins knew him as Santa Claus because he always sported a neatly trimmed white mustache. One time on Christmas Eve, he filled the bed of his truck with snow and brought it down for us to play in - which we all loved.

Uncle Elmer loved being a clown for the Shriners.

I had a running joke with my Uncle Elmer. When I would call him by name, he would always tell me, "that's GREAT Uncle Elmer to you," to which I would reply, "you mean great, OLD Uncle Elmer."

Uncle Elmer was a cook in the Korean War.

While attending his funeral Friday, I was reminded of a poem I love by Linda Ellis. For those remembering him, GREAT Uncle Elmer was someone who truly lived his 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 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'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?