A Moment in Time: Living “The Dash”

Dear all,

The photo above shows three generations of the Galperin Family.  Ron is saying Kaddish at the grave of his grandfather, Rabbi David Galperin, while Facetiming his father,
Rabbi Levi Galperin.

Just about every gravestone has two dates: the date of birth and the date of death.  We can't control the time of birth, and with rare exception, we can't control the time of death.

But separating the two dates on a headstone is often a dash.

Living that dash, ensuring that our time on earth is spent in meaningful ways….  We DO have the ability to harness that soul-print. 

No, not entirely.

But we certainly can make the most of it.

This week, Ron and I lost our not quite 15 year old dog, Daisy. We are heartbroken.  And while the loss is profound, we know that we helped her live the dash.  And she helped us live the dash as well. 

Our lives are truly a moment in time, a dash.  How will we live our dash with meaning, integrity, and purpose?  We'll make mistakes, of course.  But we ultimately want to make a difference that will bring goodness into the world.

With love and shalom,

Rabbi Zach Shapiro