Hal Wilson’s Blog

     July 8, 2008 a lovely lady by the name of Teri was laid to rest in Lebanon, TN.  I had the honor of meeting Teri originally through Gilda’s Club, a cancer support group.  I immediately knew something was special about her.  In spite of her prolonged battle with cancer, I never heard her complain.  She & I shared the chemo infusion room at St. Thomas more than once and her attitude was always the same: happy, smiling and upbeat.  About 2 weeks prior to her passing, I had the priviledge of visiting Teri at Hospice.  By this time she was paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair.  When I went in I asked her how she was and asked about the pain.  In typical Teri style, she just laughed and said her pain in the back was gone due to the paralysis.  Most anyone else would most probably have told me how bad everything was but not her.  She took adversity and turned it into a happy thing, smiling all the time.  In talking to her family and friends, they said she had always been that way.  Her life was uncomplicated.  The minister who delivered the eulogy told those gathered that Teri had four very important aspects of her life: family, friends, faith and hope, and she excelled in all of these. 

     Perhaps you have heard the analogy of The Dash, I just heard about it a while ago from a pastor friend of mine, David Foster at The Gathering Church in Franklin.  In fact Teri had The Dash printed in the memorial program.  It has meant a great deal to me as I hope it does for you and it goes like this

The Dash

I read of 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 the 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?

     Sometimes the most important aspect of your dash is faith, hope, love, family, friends as well as any other you might want to add.

Hal’s Weekly Health Update:

     I have felt pretty good this week except for a lower G.I. problem which comes and goes.  That I can’t seem to shake.  I had an MRI on my back and am meeting with a new doctor on  Tuesday (today) to review.  My shoulder has been bothering me a great deal. The doctor thinks it is tendonitis and I have started taking a medication to see if it relieves the pain. Other than that, I feel great.

     I thank you for your prayers and ask that you continue to pray for those less fortunate whether financially or spiritually.

    Hal

 

 

 

3 comments

5 comments