To the loved ones I leave behind      by Sullivan Belleau  Forgive my many faultsAnd the many pains I have caused you.How thoughtless, how foolish I have been.

But if the dead can come back to this earth,And flit unseen around those they love,I shall always be with you.In the brightest day and the darkest night.Always! Always!

And when the soft breeze fans your cheek,It shall be my breath.Or the cool air your throbbing templeIt shall be my spirit passing by.

Do not mourn me deadThink I am gone and wait for meFor we shall meet again

To laugh often and much

by Ralph Waldo Emerson

To laugh often and much;to win the respect of the intelligent peopleand the affection of children;to earn the appreciation of honest criticsand endure the betrayal of false friends;to appreciate beauty;to find the best in others;to leave the world a bit betterwhether by a healthy child,a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;to know that one life has breathed easierbecause you lived here.This is to have succeeded.

When I'm gone

(also known as) To Those Whom I Love And Those Who Love Me

by Mary Alice Ramish

Release me, let me go.I have so Many things to see and do.You mustn't tie your self to me with tears,Be happy that we had so many years.

I gave you my love and you can only guess,How much you gave me in happiness.I thank you for the love you each have shown,Buth now it's time I traveled on alone.

So grieve awhile for me, if grieve you mustthen let your grief be comforted by trust.It's only for awhile that we must partSo bless the memories whit’in your heart.

I won’t be far away, for life goes on,So, if you need me, call and I will come.Though you can't see or touch me, I'll be near,and if you listen with your heart,you'll hear all my love around you soft and clear.

And then, when you must come this way alone,I'll greet you with a smile and say, welcome home.

Foot Prints in the Sand

by Author Unknown

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there were one set of footprints. This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life,when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord, "You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always.But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my lifethere have only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied, "The times when you have seen only one set of footprints in the sand, is when I carried you."

Not, How Did He Die, But How Did He Live?

by Unknown Author

Not how did he die, but how did he live?Not what did he gain, but what did he give?These are the units to measure the worthOf a man as a man, regardless of birth.Not, what was his church, nor what was his creed?But had he befriended those really in need?Was he ever ready, with word of good cheer,To bring back a smile, to banish a tear?Not what did the sketch in the newspaper say,But how many were sorry when he passed away.

As We Look Back

by Unknown Author

As we look back over timeWe find ourselves wondering .....Did we remember to thank you enoughFor all you have done for us?For all the times you were by our sidesTo help and support us .....To celebrate our successesTo understand our problemsAnd accept our defeats?Or for teaching us by your example,The value of hard work, good judgement,Courage and integrity?We wonder if we ever thanked youFor the sacrifices you made.To let us have the very best?And for the simple thingsLike laughter, smiles and times we shared?If we have forgotten to show ourGratitude enough for all the things you did,We're thanking you now.And we are hoping you knew all along,How much you meant to us.

If I Should Go

by Unknown Author

If I should go tomorrowIt would never be goodbye,For I have left my heart with you,So don’t you ever cry.The love that’s deep within me,Shall reach you from the stars,You’ll feel it from the heavens,And it will heal the scars.

Afterglow

by Helen Lowrie Marshall

I'd like the memory of meto be a happy one.I'd like to leave an after glowof smiles when life is done.I'd like to leave an echowhispering softly down the ways,Of happy times and laughing timesand bright and sunny days.I'd like the tears of those who grieve,to dry before the sunof happy memoriesthat I leave when life is done

Memories in the Heart

by Unknown Author

Feel no guilt in laughter, she knows how much you careFeel no sorrow in a smile that she’s not here to shareYou cannot grieve forever, she would not want you toShe’d hope that you can carry on, the way you always doSo talk about the good times and the ways you showed you caredThe days you spent together, all the happiness you sharedLet memories surround you.A word someone may sayWill suddenly recapture a time, an hour, a dayThat brings her back as clearly as though she were still hereAnd fills you with the feelings that she is always nearFor if you keep these moments, you will never be apartAnd she will live forever locked safe within your heart

 

A Silent Tear

by Gaynor Llewellyn

Just close your eyes and you will seeAll the memories that you have of meJust sit and relax and you will findI'm really still there inside your mindDon’t cry for me now I'm goneFor I am in the land of songThere is no pain, there is no fearSo dry away that silent tearDon’t think of me in the dark and coldFor here I am, no longer oldI'm in that place that’s filled with loveKnown to you all, as "UP ABOVE"

 

Poem of Life

Life is but a stopping place,A pause in what's to be,A resting place along the road,to sweet eternity.We all have different journeys,Different paths along the way,We all were meant to learn some things,but never meant to stay...Our destination is a place,Far greater than we know.For some the journey's quicker,For some the journey's slow.And when the journey finally ends,We'll claim a great reward,And find an everlasting peace,Together with the Lord

After Glow

by Unknown Author

I’d like the memory of meto be a happy one.I’d like to leave an after glowof smiles when life is done,I’d like to leave an echowhispering softly down the ways,Of happy times and laughingtimes and bright andsummer days.I’d like the tears of those whogrieve, to dry before the sun,Of happy memories that I leaveWhen life is done.

If I had My Life to Live Over

by Erma Bombeck (written after she found out she was dying from cancer).

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner." There would have been more "I love you's." More "I'm sorry's."

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it. live it. and never give it back.

Stop sweating the small stuff.

Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what.

Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

A PATTERN FOR LIVING

Keep a prayer on your lips   a song in your heartAnd a reverence for life in your soul.Let faith be your courage   and hope be your starAnd love be your ultimate goal.

Then care about others   and help them alongGive freely when someone's in need.Be ready to teach   and willing to learnBe able to follow or lead.

Keep a heart that remembers   the good, not the badKeep the power and grace to forgiveAnd you'll surely be blessed   with life's finest and bestAnd contentment each day that you live.

By Phyllis Culp Mabry

Life must go on

Grieve for me, for I would grieve for you. Then brush away the sorrow and the tearsLife is not over, but begins anew,With courage you must greet the coming years.

To live forever in the past is wrong;Can only cause you misery and pain.Dwell not on memories overlong,With others you must share and care again.

Reach out and comfort those who comfort you;Recall the years, but only for a while.Nurse not your loneliness; but live again.Forget not. Remember with a smile.

A Navaho Prayer in the American Indian tradition

I'm Free

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free, I'm following the path God laid for me. I took his hand when I heard his call, I turned my back and left it all.I could not stay another day, To laugh, to love, to work, to play. Tasks left undone must stay that way, I've found that peace at the end of the day. If my parting has left a void, Then fill it with remembered joy. A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss, Ah, yes, these things too I will miss. Be not burdened with times of sorrow, I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow. My Life's been full, I savoured much, Good friends, good times, a loved one' touch. Perhaps my time seemed all too brief, Don't lengthen it now with undue grief.Lift up your heart and share with me, God wanted me now, He set me free.

Janice M. Fair-Salters

Don’t Cry for me

Don't cry for me now I have died, for I'm still here I'm by your side,My body's gone but my soul's is here, please don't shed another tear,I am still here I'm all around, only my body lies in the ground.I am the snowflake that kisses your nose,I am the frost, that nips your toes.I am the sun ,bringing you light,I am the star, shining so bright.I am the rain, refreshing the earth,I am the laughter, I am the mirth.I am the bird, up in the sky,I am the cloud, that's drifting by.I am the thoughts, inside your head,While I'm still there, I can't be dead.

Author unknown.

I have not gone

You think I've gone, that I am dead, and life has lost its will,

But look around, I am right there, living with you still

I watch your tears, I feel your pain - I see the things you do

I weep as well, each time you cry, my soul, it lives with you

 

It gives such joy to hear you laugh, and do the things you do

And when you smile o'er by gone days, I smile right with you too

For we're still one, just you and me, one mind, one soul, one being

Walking forward into life, though only you are seen

 

And in the stillness of the night, when the pain it really starts

Stretch out a little with your mind and draw me to your heart

For I am always right in there, always by your side

For you have been, all my life's days, my joy, my love my pride.

 

Author unknown 

Farewell My Friends

It was beautiful as long as it lasted, the journey of my life, I have no regrets whatsoever, save the pain I'll leave behind.

Those dear hearts who love and care, and the strings pulling at the heart and soul, the strong arms that held me up when my own strength let me down, each morsel that I was fed with was full of love.

At every turning of my life I came across good friends, friends who stood by me, even when the time raced me by.

Farewell, farewell, my friends, I smile and bid you goodbye.

No, shed no tears, for I need them not, all I need is your smile, If you feel sad, do think of me, for that's what I'll like, when you live in the hearts of those you love, remember then...... you never die.

Gitanjali Ghei

The Rose Beyond The Wall

A rose once grew where all could see,

sheltered beside a garden wall,

And as the days passed swiftly by,

it spread its branches, straight and tall...

One day, a beam of light shone through

a crevice that had opened wide

The rose bent gently toward its warmth

then passed beyond to the other side

Now, you who deeply feel its loss,

be comforted - the rose blooms there-

its beauty even greater now, nurtured by

God's own loving care

The Rose Beyond The WallA. L. Frink

Near a shady wall a rose once grew,

Budded and blossomed in God's free light,

Watered and fed by the morning dew,

Shedding it's sweetness day and night.

As it grew and blossomed fair and tall,

Slowly rising to loftier height,

It came to a crevice in the wall

Through which there shone a beam of light.

Onward it crept with added strength

With never a thought of fear or pride,

It followed the light through the crevice's length

And unfolded itself on the other side.

The light, the dew, the broadening view

Were found the same as they were before,

And it lost itself in beauties new,

Breathing it's fragrance more and more.

Shall claim of death cause us to grieve

And make our courage faint and fall?

Nay! Let us faith and hope receive--

The rose still grows beyond the wall,

Scattering fragrance far and wide

Just as it did in days of yore,

Just as it did on the other side,

Just as it will forever-more.

Untitled 1

Our lives are blessed with loved oneswhich makes it harder to bearWhen they are taken from our sidesand are no longer there.

We miss their smile, their warmth, their loveand sink deeper into our grief,We're told that time will heal the painbut still there is no relief.

At quiet times we may feel their presencebut pass it off with a rebuff.We think that our minds are playing tricksas if we're not suffering enough.

The key to it all is an 'open mind'with this you'll know the way.If your mind is open you're willing to beready to accept miracles each day.

Our loved ones are not that far awayalthough it can be hard to believe.Just reach out with your thoughts and loveand be open for the gifts you'll receive.

Love is eternal it never diesWhen we pass, it's all that we can takeThe love we share is never lostThe bond will never break.

Untitled 2

When I come to the end of the roadAnd the sun has set for meI want no rites in a gloom filled roomWhy cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little, but not for longAnd not with your head bowed lowRemember the love that once we sharedMiss me, but let me go.

For this is a journey we all must takeAnd each must go alone.It's all part of the master planA step on the road to home.

When you are lonely and sick at heartGo to the friends we know.Laugh at all the things we used to doMiss me, but let me go.

Untitled 3

Please be strong while I'm away

Have faith in all that is today

Although I'm gone, I'm with you always,

And when you smile, I'm there

Please don't cry for you can't see me,

I'm always there for when you need me

Although I'm gone, you're in my heart,

And when you smile, I'm there.

Forgotten I know that I will not be,

I know that you think often of me

We'll meet again, for now in prayer,

For when you smile, please know I'm there.

If Roses Grow in Heaven - Kirsten Preus

Don't think of her as gone away,

Her journey's just begun.

Life holds so many facets,

This earth is only one.

Just think of her as resting

from the sorrows and the tears,

In a place of warmth and comfort

Where there are no days and years.

Think how she must be wishing

That we could know today,

How nothing but our sadness

Can really pass away.

And think of her as living

In the hearts of those she touched,

For nothing loved is ever lost

And she was loved so much.

Live A Life That Matters - Author Unknown 

Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end.

There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours, days.

All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.

Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.

It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.

Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.

So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.

The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.

It won't matter where you came from,

or on what side of the tracks you lived.

At the end, whether you were beautiful or brilliant, male or female,

even your skin colour won't matter.

So what will matter?

How will the value of your days be measured?

What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built;

not what you got, but what you gave.

What will matter is not your success, but your significance.

What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.

What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that

enriched,empowered or encouraged others.

What will matter is not your competence, but your character.

What will matter is not how many people you knew,

but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.

What will matter is not your memories,

but the memories that live in those who loved you.

Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident.

It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice.

Choose to live a life that matters.

The Broken Chain - Ron Tranmer ©

We little knew that morning that

God was going to call your name.

In life we loved you dearly

In death we do the same.

It broke our hearts to lose you,

you did not go alone;

for part of us went with you,

the day God called you home.

You left us peaceful memories,

your love is still our guide,

and though we cannot see you,

you are always at our side.

Our family chain is broken

and nothing seems the same,

but as God calls us one by one,

the chain will link again.

In Memoriam - Author Unknown

Our lives go on without you

But nothing is the same

We have to hide our heartache

When someone speaks your name

Sad are the hearts that love you

Silent are the tears that fall

Living without you is the hardest part of all

You did so many things for us

Your heart was so kind and true

And when we needed someone

We could always count on you

The special years will not return

When we are all together

But with the love in our hearts

You walk with us forever

Don't grieve for me ..... by Thresiamma Abraham

Don't grieve for me, for I'm free

I'm following the path God laid for me

I took his hand when I heard his call,

I turned my back and left it all.

I could not stay another day,

To laugh, to love, to work or play

Tasks left undone must stay that way,

I've found that peace at the close of day.

If my parting has left a void,

Then fill it with remembered joy,

A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,

Ah, yes, these things I too will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow,

I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow,

My life's been full, I savored much

Good friends, good times, a loved one's touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief

Don't lengthen it now with undue grief

Lift up your hearts and share with me,

God wanted me now, He has set me free.

No Title - unknown author

A light from the family is gone

A voice we loved is stilled

A place is vacant in the home

Which never can be filled

We have to mourn the loss of one

We would've loved to keep

But God who surely loved her best

Has finally made her sleep

Those We Love

Those we love remain with us

For love itself lives on,

And cherished memories never fade

Because a loved one's gone.

Those we love can never be

More than a thought apart,

Far as long as there is memory,

They'll live on in the heart.