![]() I received an emotional email thanking me for sharing the message of The Dash from a student who had recently heard it as part of a memorial gathering for the Columbine High School students. I was on a business trip in Minnesota, alone in a hotel room. ![]() I remember where I was when I first truly realized the significance of the piece that I had written. Stop worrying and start loving and living. If I would have only known then what I know now. It all works out, and it would have worked out without the worries and the tears. I worried about finding the right husband and having children, being on time, being late, and so on. I was so moved by that letter that I saved a copy of it and continue to live by her words: It had been written by the wife of an employee who was aware that she was dying. It seemed to me that the bosses were worrying far too much about things that were inconsequential in the scope of life.Īlso, resonating in the back of my mind were the words from a letter that had been previously routed around the office. I began to watch how the priorities in many lives there had become misaligned. It was a strict company with a tense working environment. It was during a period when I was working for the top executives of a very large and successful corporation. I believe it was a combination of things in my life at the time. People are always asking me what, in particular, inspired me to write this poem. Today, I share my inspirations from my website, LindaEllis.life. I call it uncomplicated poetry in a complicated world. Titled The Dash, these thirty-six lines have touched millions of lives and have taken on a life of their own by traveling all over the world. Little did I know how much my life would change from that day forward. Soon after receiving it, the host of this popular show read it on the air. It all began when I sent a copy of this poem to a syndicated radio show in Atlanta. There is a link on Linda’s blog where you can read the poem.While it still amazes me, a simple poem I wrote one afternoon forever changed my life. “The Dash” is a copyrighted poem by Linda Ellis. Read the poem, watch the video and take the time to think about how you are living your dash. It begins with, “I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend…” And half way through it says, “What matters is how we live and love, and how we spend our dash.” ![]() My sister-in-law read this poem at my father-in-law’s funeral. There has been a poem going around for years titled “The Dash,” by Linda Ellis. This was just the extra push I needed to make a change in my life. I’ve always been one to go after what I want but lately I had been feeling stuck. She was truly an example of someone who lived her life to the fullest. As I listened to the stories from her life, I was moved not just by the love others felt for her, but by her zest for life. It had to be over twenty people who spoke fondly of this 71 year old woman. I had never seen so many people get up and speak about a person with so much love. A couple years ago I was at the funeral of my co-worker’s mother. We are never ready for it, even if we know it’s coming. Many of us have been saddened by the loss of our loved ones.
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