There is a link on Linda’s blog where you can read the poem. “The Dash” is a copyrighted poem by Linda Ellis. Read the poem, watch the video and take the time to think about how you are living your dash. It begins with, “I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend…” And half way through it says, “What matters is how we live and love, and how we spend our dash.” My sister-in-law read this poem at my father-in-law’s funeral. There has been a poem going around for years titled “The Dash,” by Linda Ellis. This was just the extra push I needed to make a change in my life. I’ve always been one to go after what I want but lately I had been feeling stuck. She was truly an example of someone who lived her life to the fullest. As I listened to the stories from her life, I was moved not just by the love others felt for her, but by her zest for life. It had to be over twenty people who spoke fondly of this 71 year old woman. I had never seen so many people get up and speak about a person with so much love. Linda Ellis is the million-selling author of The Dash, a poem that inspires people to live their lives with purpose and meaning. A couple years ago I was at the funeral of my co-worker’s mother. We are never ready for it, even if we know it’s coming. This boy taught me so much…now it’s time to live up to that.Many of us have been saddened by the loss of our loved ones. My hope is that those who were impacted by his presence on this earth will take his lead, making their own dashes the best possible versions of ourselves. I will remember Matthew’s dash…in all its imperfections because it was a beautiful and extraordinary dash. So, I would say that when people rise up to speak about him during his Celebration of Life in a few weeks’ time, they will be able to say that this dear boy lived his dash in the best possible way…with an incredible zest for life, a love of learning, an infectious optimism and an undeniable ability to bring joy to everybody in his life.Īnd I know that I will remember him every time that I get to look at the mural that is being created in his honour in our library…every time that I sit under the tree that we are planting to remember him by…every time I see (or walk on) a Lego piece. These are gifts that he passed on to his peers and to his teachers over the years. He continued to be creative with his Lego pieces…he read…he kept up with his friends…he made the most of a very harsh reality and just lived his best life with what he had. Regardless of his diagnosis, it was still the best life he could live…and he made the most of his time. In essence, he was passionate about learning.ĭespite the adversity that he faced since April of last year and some seriously brutal moments that would knock the strongest of us down, Matthew chose to look at his circumstances with optimism. And he questioned everything, as he wrapped his head around new ideas and concepts. He loved sports cars and spent a great deal of time coming up with new designs with his many Lego pieces. He excelled not only academically, but as a team player as well on and off the field…or the ice…or the court. He absorbed everything that he read, like there wasn’t enough time on this planet to get through all of the amazing books that he held in his hands. We experienced life through his eyes as he inhaled his own learning experiences, thriving when given a challenge. This is how he lived his short ten years. It’s not a life of perfection, it’s a life of, like, change and discovery.” (Matthew Isaak, May 11, 2019) “I think we have about the best life we could have. At nine, shortly after he became ill and despite being as sick as he was, he summarized what life is to him, In short, Matthew loved every minute of his dash.Īnd he was so incredibly introspective from a very young age. His smile radiated in a classroom, and his friends and teachers fed off of his positivity. He spent his time raising his classmates up…he complimented them, he helped them when they were struggling, he cut them some slack when they weren’t being on their best behavior. He was the epitome of kindness, of joy, and of empathy and was considered by everybody to be such an amazing friend. I know that Matthew lived his dash to the fullest. Yet, when I read this poem, I felt somewhat better. At the age of 10, his physical body could no longer support him and so now, we find ourselves grieving for his parents and ourselves. Selfishly, I wish that his dash had been decades longer, and that the world had been able to benefit from his awesomeness. He passed away this past Friday, following a cancer diagnosis last June. A friend posted the poem, The Dash by Linda Ellis on her Facebook page this week, and it brought me right back to my student, Matthew.
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