"Includes the original poem "The Dash." I read of a 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 the following date with tears, But he said what mattered most of all Was the dash between those years. In 1996, an announcer read Linda Ellis's poem "The Dash" aloud on a syndicated radio program--and, to her surprise, it became an instant, meteoric success. Calls came in from people around the country eager to tell Linda how her words had touched their hearts. That was the beginning of an enduring phenomenon. Live Your Dash captures and expands upon the theme of the original poem: It's not your birth or death that matters most, but how you spend each passing year. Linda shares her message of joy, hope, and positive energy through uplifting stories, essays, and poetry, along with tales of people who have been "touched by the dash," including Bob Dole, legendary football coach Lou Holtz, and American Idol winner David Cook. An inspiring look at life based on the fantastically successful poem."--Provided by publisher.
Summary:
"Linda Ellis unknowingly began a worldwide epiphany when she wrote "The Dash" poem in 1996. As an executive, she never dreamed that her childhood wish to become a poet would be fulfilled, but continued to write anyway--until her poem was read aloud on a syndicated radio program and became an instant, meteoric success. Calls came in from people around the country who wanted to share how "The Dash" had touched their hearts. That was the beginning of an enduring phenomenon, which inspired Linda to travel around the nation motivating others to "life their dash" and make every moment matter. LIVE YOUR DASH captures the message of the original poem: it's not your birth or death that matters most, but how you spend each passing year. Linda's shares her message of joy, hope, and positive energy through uplifting stories, essays, and poetry, along with tales of people who have been "touched by the dash," including Bob Dole, legendary football coach Lou Holtz, author James van Praagh, and American Idol winner David Cook (who has the lines of "The Dash" tattooed on his forearm)"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.