The Words Written on the Dash: Your Legacy

  When you look at the tombstone standing at the head of a grave, you see the name of the person buried there and the date of his birth and the date of his death. These two numbers are usually separated by a dash. The numbers at the beginning and end of the line are inconsequential, but what could be written on that dash separating them is our legacy, the story of our lives. Have you ever stopped to wonder what will be written on your dash? Consider that you will have no control over what is written or by whom. Family, friends, colleagues, or even enemies may write it. Our everyday attitudes and actions will shape what will be written on our dash. That is a sobering thought!   Several years ago, I was looking through the obituaries in our local newspaper. Two obituaries caught my eye since I knew both men. One, a very prominent businessman in town, had an obituary several columns long. Because of his influence, he even served in a cabinet post in the United States government. He was very generous with his money and donated large sums to the arts. He was generous in helping me with some community projects in the past. A large number of people attended his funeral. Everyone would say that he was truly a great man.   The other obituary was for a former patient in our wound center. He lived in a small community and was a delightful country gentleman who had a heart for helping people. A number of years before, he had realized that many people in and around his hometown were suffering due to a lack of emergency medical care. There was no ambulance service in the area, so if a person was injured or became acutely ill, he had to be transported to the nearest medical facility by car. He felt his friends and neighbors deserved better than that. He took it upon himself to get everyone in the area interested in starting a local emergency medical system. Since he was not a wealthy man, he pursued local government and private sources until money was available to start the program, buy the equipment, and train the personnel. He even became one of the first certified paramedics in the area. Through the years, the emergency medical service served many sick and injured and saved countless lives. After he had to retire from farming and working as an emergency medical technician (EMT) because of worsening diabetes mellitus, he was still the unassuming country gentleman who continued to urge support for the emergency medical program. His obituary was only about four inches long, mentioning only the basics of his life and survivors. The obituary did not mention his dedication and contributions to the people in the area. His funeral was attended by family and a few friends.   What would you imagine would be written on each of these gentlemen’s dashes? One has his name on buildings and a park; the other has his name written on the hearts of many grateful people who benefited from his desire to help those in need. Mr. Dan Castro, author and executive trainer, correctly says, “The impact we have on the lives of others is our only true legacy. This is the only thing that truly lasts when we are gone.” What is the impact you are having on the lives of others, and how will those who come after remember your legacy? What will someone write on your dash?