I often sit and think about
The months that have passed by
And of the happiness and joy
That was shared by you and I.

I think of all the laughter,
The smiles and all the fun
And, before I even know it,
My tears have again begun.

For, although it brings me comfort
To walk down memory lane
It reminds me how, without you,
Life has never been the same.

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 the following date with tears;
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the 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.