Here are a couple versions of it. There may be more on this theme. I tried to help someone on this theme on another forum and neither of these were what they were looking for.
The Dash Between My Dates
Memorial Day was over now
All had left and I was alone
I began to read the names and dates
Chiseled there on every stone.
The dates that show whether it was Mom or Dad
Or daughter or baby son
The dates were different but the amount the same
There were two on every one.
It was then I noticed something
It was but a simple line
It was the dash between the dates
Placed there, it stood for time,
All at once it dawned on me
How important that little line
The dates placed there belong to God
But that line is yours and mine.
It's God who gives us precious life
And God who takes away
But that line between He gives to us
To do with what we may.
We know God's written the first date down
Of each and every one
And we know those hands will write again
For the last date has to come.
We know He'll write the last date down
And soon we know for some
But upon the line between my dates
I hope He'll write, "well done."
-poet unknown
http://www.justplainfolks.org/MusicAwar ... ric411.htm
http://virtual-memorials.com/support/poems/dash.html
http://www.ylcf.org/journal/16/dash.htm
http://www.thomasfamilyministries.com/reviews.htm
http://jacksonsnyder.com/arc/Sermons%202/The%20Dash.htm
"The Dash"
© 1998 Linda Ellis
I read of a reverend who stood to speak
at the funeral of his 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.
(You could be at "dash mid-range")
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?
http://www.geocities.com/tcf-troy/Other ... eDash.html
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