What Does Your Dash Mean?

It represents so much, the symbol which sums up all we are and all we've done. It's the dash between your years: Joe Doakes, 1927-2006. You were born without fanfare in some year and, unless it was spectacular, died without much notice in another year. Your formation, the work your parents took in helping you understand who you are, your work, hobbies, religious beliefs, achievements, kindnesses, good and evil tendencies; all these are represented by a dash.

1927-2006: They left the selfishness of childhood and became aware that the needs of others were more important than theirs.

1927-2006: They excelled at what they did. If not, they at least tried and avoided being discouraged when things did not work out as planned. They laughed at failure and said, "Well, nobody got hurt and it didn't start a war," then tried again.

1927-2006: They may have performed heroic or semi-heroic actions that nobody knew about, or a life of kindnesses that went unnoticed. "Anybody would have done it," was their reply.

1927-2006: They never complained; "People have it worse than I do." If you wanted gossip, you had to go somewhere else.

Maybe, someday, we will all find out what's hidden in that dash.