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Life is a circle and a dash
By Melissa Martin, PhD
At the beginning of the circle is birth and at the end of the circle is
death. But, life lives on in the DNA of humanity. Your life is a circle
and so is mine. The dash represents what happens between the dates on
our memorial marker.
“All my life's a circle; Sunrise and sundown; Moon rolls through the
nighttime; 'Til the daybreak comes around. All my life's a circle; But
I can't tell you why; Season's spinning round again; The years keep
rollin' by.” Lyrics by Harry Chapin, an American singer-songwriter and
humanitarian. Chapin was a man of charity and performed for myriad
causes. And he walked his talk.
Chapin died to soon at the age of 38 in 1981. Extraordinary
story-teller. His humble heart sang about relationships. “His principal
contribution was his self-described ''story song,'' a narrative form
that owed much to older talking blues and similar structures. The
subjects of these songs were often common people with poignant or even
melodramatic tales to tell - tales of lost opportunities, cruel ironies
and life's hypocrisies,” according to a 1981 article in The New York
Times.
I was blessed for the opportunity to listen to Chapin during an outdoor
concern during my college years in Huntington, WV. Chapin
remained dedicated to folk music and that’s why I admired him. He
stands alongside of Peter, Paul, and Mary; Woody and Arlo Guthrie; and
Bob Dylan—in my opinion.
“Cat’s in the Cradle,” Chapin’s 1974 folk rock song was a huge hit for
him as well as “Taxi.” Listen to exclusive Harry Chapin music on his
foundation website. The mission of the Harry Chapin Foundation is to
support organizations that have demonstrated their ability to
dramatically improve the lives and livelihood of people by helping them
to become self-sufficient. www.harrychapinfoundation.org.
1942 – 1981. The dates on Chapin’s tombstone. The circle encompasses
the dash in-between the numbers. Every deceased person has a dash. And
Chapin lived his dash to the fullest.
The Dash Poem, written by Linda Ellis in 1996, can be found at
wwwthedashpoem.com. “I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral
of a friend. He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the
beginning… to the end.”
“The Circle of Life” is a song from Disney’s 1994 animated film
entitled, The Lion King. “It’s the circle of life. And it moves us all.
Through despair and hope. Through faith and love. 'Til we find our
place. On the path unwinding. In the circle. The circle of life.”
Aging is our reminder that daily living on Earth is to be
cherished—because sooner or later we all die. It seems like the days of
our youth flew by so quickly. The mirror reflects grey hair, wrinkles,
and the passing of time. Our brain holds precious memories of what
happened between the dash. The dash denotes change. Relationships
rupture and repair. Relationship with our deity, ourselves, and others.
“Youth is a silly, vapid state, Old age with fears and ills is rife;
This simple boon I beg of Fate - A thousand years of Middle Life,”
penned Carolyn Wells.
Nonetheless, the seasons return.
Autumn of 2019 signifies the beginning of fall holidays: 2019
Thanksgiving and Christmas. Families and feasts. Bake the turkey and
deck the halls. More memories in photo albums. The circle of life
continues during our celebrations. Grandmothers and grandfathers pass
away and the torched is passed down to others.
“Will the circle be unbroken, By and by, Lord, by and by. There’s a
better home a-waiting in the sky, Lord in the sky. I was standing by my
window, On one cold and cloudy day, When I saw the hearse come rolling,
For to carry my mother away.” Lyrics by the Carter Family. The circle
doesn’t end on Earth. The circle begins again in Heaven. That’s what I
believe.
“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 lived your
dash?”—Linda Ellis.
Melissa Martin, Ph.D., is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist. She lives in Southern Ohio.
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