Don't You Forget About Me

To start this one, a poem fits incredibly well.

The Dash by Linda Ellis

 

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 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

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 is being read,

with your life’s actions to rehash…

would you be proud of the things they say

about how you spent YOUR dash?

Chances are most of you know this poem. You've read it or heard it at some point in your life.

It struck me today listening to one of the corniest songs in the world. "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by the band Simple Minds. Most of you would recognize this if you heard it. It's the theme to The Breakfast Club.

The chorus is the most recognizable part - as you might guess.

But it's very true. How many people want to be forgotten?

Chances are very few.

Ultimately, though, it comes down to one person.

You guessed it.

You.

My biggest fear in this world is to die without anyone knowing. To die and simply fade away is a terrible thing. Selfish as it may be, I don't want people to forget me. But the only way that's not going to happen is if I do my utmost to live my life in a way that I know I won't regret. To do just as the poem says.

The Bible talks about a lot of the things in this poem. James 1:19 says everyone should be "quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."

So, friends, I urge you all to live your life in this way.

Be happy. Appreciate the people who do for you. Listen carefully and intently. Live a life that people will remember.

"Happiness is the only good. The time to be happy is now. The place to be happy is here. The way to be happy is to make others so." - Robert Green Ingersoll