does anyone understand what this quote mean?

Question

"there'll be two dates on your tombstone and all your friends will read 'em. but all that will matter is the little dash etween them."
-kevin welch

i was reading it the other day and it caught my attention. i didnt quite grasp its meaning. what do u all think it means?

Answer 1

the day you were born and the die you die dont matter, what matters is the life you lived--

Answer 2

What it means is that the little dash indicates your life ... what you did, how you did it, who was in your life - how you lived your live

This sums it up ....
The Dash
by Lynda Ellis © 1998

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 of her death.
But he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time
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 midrange.")
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?

Answer 3

The dash in between represents the years of your life. What it's saying is, the two dates on your tombstone don't show everything that you did with your life. Your tombstone shows your birth and death but what matters is the life you lived, what you left behind, the life you lived in between those two dates. Who you were and who you were to others. Thats a great quote.

Answer 4

Dash Between The Dates

Answer 5

To my way of understanding~the two dates are your date of birth and date of death. Therefore the dash between represents your life!
Have a great evening!!

Answer 6

If you want the companionship of another person at a level that you refer to it as friendship, you have to do things the other person's way sometimes. You have to take their feelings into consideration. You have to be mindful of what they want out of the association. You have to keep their welfare in mind. If you do all that, then you are being a friend, and they will be inclined to reciprocate and be friendly to you as well. Sounds kind of soapy, but there it is.

Answer 7

its not the birth, its not the death, it is the life spent living between the two dates that makes all the difference. people have had long lives yet done nothing with those years, while others have packed many lives worth of experience into their short years.

thats the choice we have, to live, or to exist. the secret is to find the line between them and have a great long life.

Answer 8

the two dates are your birthday and the day you die. so it says all it matters is the little dash between them , meaning all it matters is how you spent your life, did you accomplish what you wanted in life when you are alive, did you love and care for everyone that did for you, so in life all it matters is what you did when youa re alive and how you are rememberd when you are dead. so the little dash is the your life from begining to end.

Answer 9

It doesn't matter when you were born or when you died.All that matters is the life you had in between.What you did in life will always be more important than when you came and when you left.

Answer 10

It means it is how you live your life that matters... not how much time you had, nor when you were born or died.

Click on the link below and you will know...

http://www.dash-movie.com/

Answer 11

It means that when you were born or when you died do not matter. What really matters is what you did during your lifetime.
( e.g. 1914 - 1981 ) <-- This says your birthdate and date of death.)