The poem titled the dash movie#
The poem titled the dash full#

Or is this Inhalation and Exhalation the “ all important” thing? Everything that happened in between this “ all important” Inhalation and Exhalation is “LIFE” The last act was an Exhalation (and made others cry). Reading it, I reflected on the inner meaning of the poem and got me thinking about life in general.Īs my Guru, the Guru of Joy HH Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of Art of Living Foundation says, when we came into this world our first act was an Inhalation and then we cried. I am dead sure that none of you could ignore it.

The poem titled the dash movie#

Sure many of us have read, viewed (as a movie or presentation), savoured, enjoyed, criticised or even wept over it. I dedicate this piece to a fighter recently in the news who apparently fought and made that “Dash” of her life count, galvanizing the nation into action – with Prayers that “Post-Dash” year stays open for a long time to come. What we DO know, however, is a lot can happen in a dash.I recently read up on a great Poem written by Linda Ellis titled The Dash. None of us knows how long our dash will last. Two, because the dashes are important, you should make an effort to document them. There is so much more to people than what you read in their obituaries or hear during a eulogy. Those are more like trailers for a full-length movie, but you know the movie will be so much more fulfilling. Think about the conversations that occur around the “photo boards” on display at weddings, graduations, and funerals. THAT’s where the memories are triggered, and the stories unfold. Those are the kinds of conversations you want to capture, not just for yourself, but for those you hold close and the generations that follow.Īnd three, if nothing else, perhaps the poem gave you some inspiration for how you want to live YOUR dash. I hope so. And if there are others in your life who might enjoy the poem, I hope you’ll forward them the email that brought you here. Not just your dash, but those of your immediate family, extended family, and ancestors. What do you know about their dashes? What do you WANT to know? A good genealogy tool might help you identify the important dates associated with someone’s life, but the things you’ll want to remember about that person and reflect upon will be associated with their dash.

So, why am I sharing this with you today? Three basic reasons. But that dash in between? He would have been proud of the things that were said about how he lived his dash. No, those facts will mark his gravestone. The obituary clearly stated his dates of birth and death, but the conversations didn’t dwell on those. Family and friends had gathered to celebrate a life well-lived. More recently I attended a graveside memorial service. That’s when I made the connection to the poem that I heard Lou Holtz recite some 20 years ago. The minister was imploring them to pay attention to “their dash.” Love isn’t about your wedding day, or your honeymoon, or your anniversaries, or the births of your children. Those are certainly important days and worth celebrating. But love is about everything that happens in between the important days. Good times and bad. Successes and failures. Illnesses and health. Poverty and wealth. They were the kinds of stories that illustrate how a marriage can be tested, and how those tests can either strengthen a marriage… or break one.Īt the heart of his message was this simple truth. The minister, when addressing the bride and groom, was both entertaining and inspirational. What was it that triggered my brain to reach deep into its archives and pluck that specific memory? Fast forward to the present.

The poem titled the dash full#

I love that poem! But I haven’t given it a second thought for a couple of decades, at least not the full text of it. Would you be proud of the things they sayĬopyright 1996-2021 SW Inspire Kindness, He noted that first came the date of birthĪnd spoke of the following date with tears, He referred to the dates on the tombstone Here’s the poem in its entirety, reprinted with permission: During his speech he recited – from memory – a poem entitled The Dash. But there’s one thing I remember very specifically. I recall him being both entertaining and inspirational – delivering cleverly crafted one-liners interspersed with meaningful life lessons. One of the speakers on the agenda was Lou Holtz. Well known and highly regarded as a successful college football coach, Lou is also a terrific motivational speaker. A good 20 years or so ago, I attended a business conference.