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But recently, something happened that caused me to pause and reflect deeply—not just on my life, but on the meaning of all of our lives, and what we leave behind. Two weeks ago, during a practice, Bob Bowler, a man who had been instrumental in building Special Needs Programs throughout Charlotte, tragically passed away from a heart attack shortly after practice started.
Even though I didn’t know Bob for long, his presence was unmistakable. He was the type of man who built things, who created systems and programs that brought joy and opportunity to so many people. His work was quiet but profound. And as heartbreaking as it was to lose him, Bob’s death served as a stark reminder of the preciousness of life—and of the dash that comes between birth and death.
At the practice following Bob’s passing, we held an emotional open-floor session where anyone who wanted to speak could share their thoughts. It was a space where raw emotion flowed freely, and as we all spoke, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. The room was filled with love, gratitude, and the collective realization that Bob’s work and legacy were going to live on in each of us.
One of the coaches gave a speech that struck me deeply. He said, "When we die, there’s a dash between our birth and our death."
It sounds simple, right? But that dash—just a tiny line between two dates—is so much more than a punctuation mark in time. It represents everything that happens in between: every experience, every relationship, every choice, and every action. It’s a reminder that while the start and end of our lives are out of our control, that dash is where we make our impact.
That dash is what defines us.
As I continue to lead Delilah Home, and in my personal life, I want my dash to be remembered for one thing: giving back. I want it to be a dash that is marked by making everyone around me better. Through my work, my time spent volunteering, and the relationships I nurture, I hope to inspire others to live their dash with the same sense of purpose.
So, what is your dash? How are you spending the time between your birth and death? Are you living it in a way that fills you with purpose and meaning? Are you using it to lift others, just as Bob did, and just as so many others are doing around us?
We all have a finite amount of time on this earth. Let’s fill it with kindness, generosity, and a commitment to leaving the world a little bit better than we found it.
#givingback
Many of you know that my company, Delilah Home, takes tremendous pride in giving back to our community. We dedicate up to 10% of our profits, time, and presence to make the world around us a little better. It's not just a part of our mission; it's at the core of who we are. In line with that mission, I have been fortunate enough to volunteer as a coach for the Charlotte Special Olympics Tennis Program. This experience has been nothing short of transformative and incredibly rewarding.