Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am the thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle Autumn’s rain.
When you awake in the morning hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die.

Do not mourn too long
for our caring mother,
but honour her memory
with a promise to live a little better
for having known her.
It will enrich her life and yours,
for Mum’s legacy will live on.

Death is nothing at all;
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name;
Speak to me in the easy way you always used.
Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, and pray for me.
Let my name be the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was;
there is absolutely unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of your mind
because I am out of your sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near just around the corner.
All is well. Nothing is past; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before,
only better, infinitely happier and forever,
we will be one together with Christ.

Dads are special people,
No home should be without.
For every family will agree,
They’re so nice to have about.

They are a happy mixture,
Of a small boy and a man
And they’re very necessary,
In every family plan.

Sometimes they’re most demanding
And stern and firm and tough,
But underneath they’re soft as silk,
For this is just a bluff.

But in any kind of trouble,
Dad reaches out his hand
And you can always count on him,
To help and understand.

And while we do not praise Dad,
As often as we should,
We love him and admire him,
And while that’s understood.

It’s only fair to emphasise,
His importance and his worth,
For if there were no loving Dads,
This would be a loveless earth.

Count your garden by the flowers,
Never by the leaves that fall.
Count your days by golden hours,
Don’t remember clouds at all.
Count your nights by stars, not shadows.
Count your life by smiles not tears
And with joy on every birthday.
Count your age by friends, not years.

May tender memories soften your grief,
May fond recollection bring you relief,
And may you find comfort and peace in the thought,
Of the joy that knowing your loved one brought –
For time and space can never divide,
Or keep your loved one from your side,
When memory paints in colours true,
The happy hours that belonged to you.

Helen Steiner Rice

I’d like the memory of me
to be a happy one,
I’d like to leave an afterglow
of smiles when life is done,
I’d like to leave an echo
whispering softly down the ways,
of happy times and laughing times
and bright and sunny days,
I’d like the tears of those who grieve,
to dry before the sun
of happy memories that I leave
when life is done.

A wonderful woman laid to rest
For everyone she did her best
Her deeds were good
Her heart was kind
A better wife and mother
No-one could find

Loved by all who knew her

Sadly missed – Sleep peacefully

A wonderful man laid to rest
For everyone he did his best
His deeds were good
His heart was kind
A better husband and dad
No-one could find

Loved by all who knew him

Sadly missed – Sleep peacefully

A Mother is the greatest gift – a gift meaning love,
Her love is unconditional and it fits just like a glove.

From day one it’s always mum who’s there by your side,
Picking up the pieces and wiping the tears you’ve cried.

Who was there when you rode your first bike,
And listened when you told her about the boy you liked?

She encourages you all the time to do your very best,
Even when you don’t succeed – she picks you above the rest.

Then comes that awful day when you tell her to stay out of your life,
But notice how she’s the one to bail you out of strife.

Then you find true love and your mother must learn to share,
This can be difficult and it may seem quite unfair.

As you get older you realise that your relationship can be fun,
So you make amends and say you’re sorry for all that you’ve done.

She now becomes your best friend and you tell her how much you care,
And thank her over and over for always being there.

Most of these experiences for me are yet to come,
All I wish for is to be half as good – as my special mum.

Tracy Kollmann

A life well-lived is a precious gift
Of hope and strength and grace,
From someone who has made our world
A brighter, better place.

It’s filled with moments sweet and sad,
With smiles and sometimes tears,
With friendships formed and good times shared
And laughter through the years.

A life well-lived is a legacy
Of joy and pride and pleasure,
A loving, lasting memory
Our grateful hearts will treasure.