Inspirational Quotes?

[Darsa]

Hi all,

So my mom's memorial service will be on Saturday at 1PM, and my DH (who has been the MOST AMAZING man I could ever imagine) is going to be "officiating". My mom wasn't a churchgoing-religious-type ("I don't need to go to a church to talk to God"), and she had no life-insurance (it had lapsed when she was unable to go back to work), so we're not having a Mass and fancy ceremony; just a short service followed by a gathering at my sister's house afterward.

A couple of family members have asked if they can say something, including my DD14. I'm wondering if anyone would be willing to share a short quote or passage or poem that might be appropriate to say at a funeral service? I'm really very new at this; we haven't had many funerals to attend in my lifetime as of yet, thank goodness.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Mau Loa Disney]

Big hug to you...sorry to hear of your loss. I did a quick search online for poems...maybe you can add to one of them to make it more personal:

http://personalfuneralceremonies.com/Poems-For-a-Funeral-Ceremony


Hope this helps

 

[antmaril]

I am very sorry for your loss.

I like "The Station" by Robert Hastings. Of course, I don't know you or your mother, so it may or may not be appropriate. It reminds us that the joy of life is in the journey, not the destination.

Here's the website:

http://www.thestationessay.com/

 

[TEENEE]

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?

 

[Sparx]

When I Must Leave You

When I must leave you
For a little while,
Please do not grieve
And shed wild tears
And hug your sorrow to you
Through the years,
But start out bravely
With a smile.

And for my sake
And in my name,
Live on and do
All the things the same.

Feed not your loneliness
On empty days,
But fill each waking hour
In useful ways.

Reach out your hand in comfort
And in cheer,
And I, in turn, will comfort you
And hold you near.
And never, never
Be afraid to die,
For I am waiting for you
In the sky.

-------------------------------------
Written by Helen Rice.