Education

Value of the Dash:

Enjoying life's joys and complexities

Melissa MacMaster, GEKA GM Operations and Educational Leader

Fundamental to the National Early Years Learning Framework (2009) is a view of children’s lives as characterised by belonging, being and becoming. 

Experiencing belonging – knowing where and with whom you belong – is integral to human existence. 

Becoming reflects this process of rapid and significant change that occurs in our lives.  At GEKA, we recognise that each of us belong first, to a family and have our own values and beliefs.  We support our educators as we do children, to develop their full potential.  In my role as educational leader, it is my role to work with the leadership team to identify and know everyone’s capabilities and to put plans in pace to help people reach their full potential.

Being, however, recognises the significance of the here and now in our lives. It is about the present moment, engaging with life’s joys and complexities, and in meeting challenges in everyday life.

This year has been one of many achievements for our staff, but for some, it has also been a year of loss and grieving.  Despite the complexity that this presented, our educators worked together to support each other, so that individuals didn’t have to grieve alone and also so that business could continue as usual, with the impact to children and families, being minimal. A heartfelt thank you to all teams at GEKA, for your love and support to your colleagues.

I have observed incredible strength and bravery within educators this year and wanted to acknowledge their courage, integrity and professionalism, especially when faced with the complexity that is life.  Thank you also to the families, for their understanding and care.

Life is a precious gift.  I always challenge educators to be mindful of what is ‘worthy of children’s time’.  This can be hard when we aspire to provide children with the foundations for a successful life.  Equally, as adults, we can easily be caught up in the busyness of day to day life.  I wanted to share with you all, a poem by Linda Ellis, as a reminder about the important things in life. Our lives may sometimes take us in directions that we may not have planned, but what’s important to remember is what we learn along the way. These ‘life lessons’, even though we don’t always understand them, happen for the progression of our soul.

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 her 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?