The Dash

What’s Your Story?

An email circulated a few years ago referring to the “dash”. The question was: What will your dash say about you? The “dash” represents your life’s journey from birth to death (b.1900-2000). I know this sounds morbid but it is an important and natural process each of us will be confronted with at some point in our lives. I remember attending a funeral on my daughter’s side of the family. I was so amazed by this woman’s life that I strived to be just like her. I had only met her a few times at various family functions and our conversations were casual. However, it was during her funeral service that I learned so much more about her life and what she meant to her children and to her community. I was so amazed at the love her children each had and the level of her community involvement. That is when the “dash” became something significant in my life. From that day forward I strived to be like my daughter’s great-grandmother and so much more. I was inspired by someone else’s “dash” and now, I wonder, how to give the “dash” more significance before the journey ends?

My daughter brought these questions to me last night, as she regretted not knowing her recently deceased grandmother very well. She would have liked one more conversation because she didn’t feel as though she knew enough about her grandmother’s life. Which brings me to my next question, how do we reconcile the generational gaps? The obvious solution is of course, better communication.

I would like to propose that each family begins to document something every year about their family and collect stories from the elders. The wisdom and life experience from our elders can go along way. I would include home remedies, funny stories, sad stories, births, deaths and accomplishments. I don’t believe you have to be famous or come from a world of wealth in order to share your family’s story. Every family and story is unique and deserves to be cherished before the “dash” ends. 

Pleasurable and Enlightening

I recently read Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. Initial reactions to the title often imply the obvious sexual connotations. On the contrast, sex is the last thing the book focuses on. Middlesex depicts the journey of three generations of families of Greek descent. The book also illustrated historical moments that took place in the 1960s during Civil Rights Movement. The author utilized an omniscient narrator who is able to relay details of the lives of the characters in an objective manner. The intricacies of each love affair are questionable to the modern audience, however the author wove the details in a unique style that prevents the reader from being judgmental. Middlesex is a story every human can relate to because the story illustrates the human condition and the need to belong and feel included in our families and society.