Canucker's SinBin

The Dash Poem

by Linda Ellis

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

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own;
The cars, the house, the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

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 spent your dash?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Families remember Cultus Lake stabbing victim

Updated: Sun May. 25 2008 18:37:35

ctvbc.ca

Friends and family of Cody Gottschalk gathered Sunday to say goodbye to the fun-loving 19-year-old, who was stabbed to death at Cultus Lake last weekend.

But instead of black suits and sombre music on a dark day, his family and friends chose bright shirts with music and colours devoted to a bright, energetic and outgoing teen.

"Knowing Cody, he would have wanted us to do this," said Bill Gottschalk, Cody Gottschalk's uncle.

Just eight days ago, Gottschalk was camping at Cultus Lake with his family. He and a friend went ou...

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(Some of this is also from the CKA thread on the topic)

I just came back from the hospital, the other stabbing victim is improving day by day. He's not needing the morphine as often but sometimes he's in so much pain he needs it. He's up and walking a bit, slowly, but he can make it to the bathroom (cath is out). When I saw him he seemed to being doing fine emotionally. We were all joking about a big balloon my daughter picked for him of a huge frog's head, apparently he woke up from a deep sleep still induced with morphine, saw the balloon right above him, and thought it was a person with a weird green frog head... and was like "What the heck???!!"

I finally got my daughter home for some sleep, but she's going to go back this evening, but not sure for how long. I want her to get more than just a few hours here and there, but she's doing okay. I think talking about it has been very helpful for her and we dropped by her school on the way home this morning to update her counselor and law teacher who knew all the victims from previous years. Apparently every May long weekend, her law teacher warns the class about how the accident rate and other mostly alcohol involved incidents that happen as a warning to be careful, and she does this every year. Ironic, but so true. Apparently the victim and Cody received the same warning a couple of years ago while in her class as well. My daughter's many friends have also been very supportive, so she's been surrounded by love and comfort.

~~~~~~~

A few hours later my daughter is back off to the hospital with friends again. She gets really anxious when she's away from him, even knowing he's getting better. At least she got a little sleep in and some better food.



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All was good, my family and I were all enjoying a family wedding in Victoria when on the way home my daughter got a call from a friend that a horrible tragedy had occurred and it involved her boyfriend of over a year and his two friends, one a very best friend of her boyfriend.

She knew that he had gone camping for one night to relax and have some fun with two friends after a solo flight he did from Vancouver to Calgary and back (the first time over the Rocky Mountains) that was extremely successful and beautiful (his mom was a passenger). He was to return the next day to study for his exams to become a commercial pilot that was coming up very soon and he was expected to do well.

We all learned through various phone calls from my daughter’s friends, who were all shocked and in disbelief (especially the other victims girlfriend, a good friend of my daughter) and their families on the mainland, that there was a fight and her boyfriend and his best friend were stabbed and that it was very serious. The other friend was beaten up a bit but was okay. I must say that these friends are good boys and don’t cause trouble, even if they are drinking (all of legal age). We heard all sorts of jumbled information at first, that one was okay, one was in critical condition and being air lifted to a Vancouver hospital, and that one was at the Chilliwack hospital. An hour late we got the news that my daughter's boyfriend's best friend actually died (at the scene) and that her boyfriend was stabbed twice in the back and that he was the one airlifted to a Vancouver mainland hospital. Both his kidneys were involved and he was in serious condition.

Both my daughter and I tried to get some sleep but couldn’t, she was in terrible shock that he was so hurt and her good friend was dead. We took the first morning ferry over to the mainland and from there drove straight to the hospital where we got to see him and things seemed even more dire than we first thought. His blood pressure had d...

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I'm reading this really interesting book, Worry by Edward M. Hallowell, MD, and many of you may also find it interesting as it has to do with worrying or anxiety, and even depression, since in many cases they seem to go hand in hand.

I found a paragraph in his book that I thought is even more pivotal to members on a site (originally posted on my SparkPeople blog) like this and I wanted to share it here with you:



So this should give all of us even more reason to exercise regularly to keep our frenzied brains healthier as well as our bodies! I know I've been exercising at least 4-5 times a week, cardio and strength training, and I've noticed a huge difference with my moods and especially with my anxiety.

For more about his book:

...

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My sister recently travelled to Tibet with her 3 year old son Santi and her ex-husband Tamdin who was born in Tibet but left Tibet because of the Chinese occupation in his teens. He moved to Canada with my sister a few years ago and is now a Canadian citizen which allowed him to return home. This is her first e-mail to me since arriving at Tamdin's family village:

Village Life
We arrived in Tamdin's village about one week ago now. There was a crowd of people waiting for us on the road as we drove up...I learned later this was all Tamdin's close and extended family. His mother was sooo happy to see him again and we went inside to begin a family three day celebration. This included lots of tea, food, singing, dancing, story telling, and more tea.

It is really beautiful here. The rolling mountains go on as far as the eye can see and the air is so fresh and clean. Everybody is very kind and considerate to us. Santi is the little king of the family, and the whole extended family has taken to help raise him. His cousins are playing with him and taking him on many adventures, the aunts and uncles are teaching him tibetan and entertaining him, and everybody is laughing at his antics. He loves the animals. He has already been horse-riding and chasing the pigs, as well as being scratched by the neighbors cat, who he won't leave alone. As for me, they knew I was a vegetarian, so they spoil me by cooking special vegetarian meals which are delicious.

Tamdin's mother is a real fire-cracker. She is full of joy and energy, always working hard around the house, yelling orders at the grandkids, and loudly laughing. I am passing my days roaming the mountains with the kids, and I am teaching them yoga, which they really get a kick out of. I am also doing all my washing on the washboard and learning to speak better tibetan everyday.

Village life is great except for one downfall...no shower. So after a week there, I had to come into a town...

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