My Dash -

October 14th I attended a funeral...

 

Something no one likes to do of course. The funeral was for a man whom I have only known a short time of about 5 or so years. To many he was known as PawPaw, Pops, Willie. He was my stepdad's Dad. I have only had the sweet opportunity to see Mr. Burdette on few occasions like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter. The times I did see him, I saw a man of contentment, a man with a smile, a man who loved to sit and watch his grandboys wrestle around the Christmas tree. A man who loved his family.

 

I sat towards the back of the chapel. My view was something I will never forget. I watched his wife of 61 years sit in front of his closed casket. Her hair in a bun held with bobby pins, her hands folded in her lap. Don't be misled, I listened to every word the man said of Mr. Burdette, but very rarely did my eyes go to the man behind the casket. They stared at Mrs. Jackie instead. I thought of them and how amazing it must be to spend your life with one person. To love that one person the way you will never love another. To have children, grandchildren - to watch the family they've created grow. And to see that one person go as well. I couldn't help but think that could be me one day. Sitting on the front row, my gray hair wrapped in a bun, listening to my husband's funeral sermon. My heart ached for her the very most that day.

 

As I sat and pondered in my own selfish thoughts, two words the preacher said that afternoon will always stay with me. The dash. He talked about how on most headstones you see two dates. The day the person was born and the day the person leaves this world. But the most important thing you will see there is the dash. Because that dash represents everything in between. The accomplishments, the marriage, the children, the words you spoke, the actions you took. It is there that your life lies. What does my dash hold? My dash right now holds a marriage of 9 years, 4 beautiful children, a relationship with my Creator and my Savior. I pray somewhere in my dash I have impacted another's life. I pray that my words have been encouraging, not detrimental. My dash holds friends that are very dear to me, parents and a brother. Nieces and a nephew.  

 

I couldn't help but ask myself am I happy with my dash? If I left this world right now, would I be content with my dash? And yes. I would.

 

I am reminded so swiftly that I want my dash to be filled with laughter, words of encouragement and fulfillment.

 

What does your dash hold? Are you content with that?