Remember the fallen. Honor those who serve. Teach the next generation the value of freedom.
+ + + + + + +
"The people that you love live on inside of you"
*******************
" Each of you has contributed to the magic of our family. Thank you for your love and look for me in every sunset. "
******************
"Warm summer sun, Shine kindly here, Warm southern wind, Blow softly here. Green sod above, Lie light, lie light. Good night, dear heart, Good night, good night "(Mark Twain)
***********
"To imagine that at the time of our dying we will have the physical strength, emotional stability, and mental clarity to do the work of a lifetime is a ridiculous gamble"
*********************
This is my wish for you :
Comfort on difficult days,
smiles when sadness intrudes,
rainbows to follow the clouds,
laughter to kiss your lips,
sunsets to warm your heart,
hugs when spirits sag,
beauty for your eyes to see,
friendships to brighten your being,
faith so that you can believe,
confidence for when you doubt,
courage to know yourself,
patience to accept the truth,
Love to complete your life ..
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~
+++++++++++++++++++
Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us every day.
********
"Why does it take a minute to say hello and forever to say goodbye?"
*****************************
Say Their Names
Stop what you are doing.
And consider this for a moment
We will each die twice.
We did the first time when
We take our very last breath,
And our heart beats one final time.
We die a second time
When our name
Is spoken out loud
For the very last time
And we are forgotten.
Say their Names
Tell Their Families
We Still Care
About their service and sacrifices
Freedom is never free.
- Wreaths Across America
+++++++++++++++
"Know when to seek peace / For as long as the moon shall rise / For as long as the rivers shall flow / For as long as the sun shall shine / For as long as the grass shall grow / Let us have peace."
—Native American Poem
*************
Deep peace of the quiet Earth to you.
***********
"When You Meet Someone Deep in Grief"
Slip off your needs
and set them by the door.
Enter barefoot
this darkened chapel
hollowed by loss
hallowed by sorrow
its gray stone walls
and floor.
You, congregation
of one
are here to listen
not to sing.
Kneel in the back pew.
Make no sound,
let the candles
speak.
By Patricia McKernon Runkle
----------------------------------
"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world"
-Desmond Tutu
****************
If you can remember me, I will be with you always.
( Isabel Allende)
------------------
Should we lose each other in the shadow of the evening trees
I'll wait for you
And should I fall behind
Wait for me
(Bruce Springsteen)
*********
"Tread softly, dreams are buried here." Unknown
********************
When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced.
Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice
- Native American Proverb
+++++++++++++++

A pocket full of sorrows
I shall take away for you
A handful of flowers
I shall lay down for you
A river full of tears
I shall cry for you
A forever full of memories
I shall remember of you
--Taken from A Little Book of Poetry by Athey Thompson
+++++++++++++++++
"Grief is just love with no place to go."
*************************
"We get no choice. If we love, we grieve."
*******************************
When you are sorrowful, look again.
*****************
Be still.
Close your eyes.
Breathe.
Listen for my footfall in your heart.
I am not gone but merely walk within you
**************
"When someone you love becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure."
******************************************
"Grief never ends… But it changes. It's a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith… It is the price of love."
— Unknown
**********

Your journey is not the same as mine, and my journey is not the same as yours.
But if you meet me on a certain path, may we encourage each other to carry on and remind each other that we are not alone ..
----------------------------
"Not everyone gets to go home for Thanksgiving......"
*************

"Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart and you'll never walk alone."
******************************
"Come back. Even as a shadow, even as a dream."
********************************
"Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything."
********************************
May the breeze blow new strength into your being, and may you believe in the courage of yourself.
May you walk gently through the world, keeping your loved one with you always, knowing that you are never parted in the beating of your heart.
May the sun bring you energy every day, bringing light into the darkness of your soul. May the moon softly restore you by light bathing you in the glow of restful sleep and peaceful dreams. ... May the rain wash away your worries, and cleanse the hurt that sits in your heart. "
**************
Though we need to weep your loss,
You dwell in that safe place in our hearts,
Where no storm or night or pain can reach you.
- excerpt from On the Death of the Beloved by John O'Donohue
************
And, If I just hold on
Hold on tight
Will the fair wind take me
To where the sun does shine bright
There be no more talk of dark days
Only sun shine days of light
If I just hold on
Hold on tight
Taken from " A Little Book Of Poetry " by Athey Thompson
*******************
Your body is away from me
but there is a window open
from my heart to yours.
- Excerpt from The Window by Rumi
*****************
Grief
Grief is a room, invisible.
You are pushed into it.
For a while, it is the only
room in your house.
You stumble around,
No lights, No clocks.
No windows.
Empty.
When darkness is dark enough-
enough!- you cross
the threshold, return
to the visible world.
Dust on your desk,
on the fruit bowl.
Kitchen, Remember to eat.
Living room, Agree to talk
When dust chages
your living skin,
you'll step outside
Sun and wind will be at play
and you'll find yourself smiling
Really, I mean find yourself-
you've been lost all this time.
You have the whole place back now.
but that room will always be there,
and the door will always be open.
By Patricia McKernon Runkle
**********
"He will remain treasured in the hearts of all who knew him."
***********
To Live In The Hearts of Those We Love Is Never To Die
----------
Always in our thoughts, forever in our hearts.
*********
"God called your name so gently, That only you could hear, No one heard the footsteps of the Angels drawing near... Softly from the shadows, There came a gentle call, You closed your eyes and went to sleep... You quietly left us all."
**************************
"The darker the night, the brighter the stars, the deeper the grief, the closer is God!"
************************
Anita Bergen — If we have experienced true Love, the grief of losing a loved one will not pass. Grief is a process… it will change. The cold, numbing pains of grief evolve into the loving memories that warm our heart.
**********
"Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won't either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted a many as you could."
— Louise Erdrich
***********
Anita Bergen — The purpose of life is learning how to love — and continuing to love, though you've been hurt, betrayed, or broken. Despite the risk and the wreckage, love is worth it. In the end, it's the only thing that matters.
***********
."Our cemeteries are full of people who prayed to live."
"What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." - Helen Keller
"There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart." - Mahatma Gandhi
"The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example." - Benjamin Disraeli
***********
"Remember, Honor, Teach"
************
Passing stranger, pity not
Him who lies here, all forgot,
'Neath this earth;
Some one loved him—more can fall
To no mortal. Love is all
Life is worth.
excerpt from "At the Grave of the Forgotten" by Effie Waller Smith
**************
Excerpted from Gen Colin Powell at the 2018 US Capitol Memorial Day Concert:
This memorial day as we honor those who died in service, let us pledge in the name of the families who have suffered such an in-conscionable loss that we will never forget the sacrifices of their loved ones, but how can we help those left behind,…. to these families who have lost so much let us reach out in loving support
the smallest acts of kindness can be the most important;
sharing can help all of us heal
it is in our willingness to listen to let them share their grief and their memories
that we can make all the difference
if we listen we will understand what these families need us to know
that the grave marker is not just a number or a name but a person who loved and was loved
if we listen, we will understand that grief has no time limit
it is not easy but remember
tonight is a testament that they are not alone
there is help and encouragement on the journey
God bless all of these families, and God bless you all.
"They served for us, now it is our chance to serve for them. "
*******************
Always be kinder than necessary.
*******************
Peace, my heart, let the time for the parting be sweet.
Let it not be a death but completeness.
Let love melt into memory and pain into songs.
Let the flight through the sky end in the folding of the wings over the nest.
Let the last touch of your hands be gentle like the flower of the night.
Stand still, O Beautiful End, for a moment, and say your last words in silence.
I bow to you and hold up my lamp to light you on your way.
--------------
Any memorials that you would like transferred, let me know. I will transfer when you send me a message from the edit tab, so i can be sure to transfer the right person to you. Feel free to use my photos, they are there for everyone to use. Please leave message on contributor page or on edit tab
*********
Your tombstone stands among the rest
Neglected and alone
The name and date are chiseled out
On polished marble stone
It reaches out to all who care
It is too late to mourn
You did not know that I exist
You died and I was born
Yet each of us are cells of you
In flesh, in blood and bone
Our blood contracts and beats a pulse
Entirely not our own
Dear Ancestor, the place you filled
One hundred years ago
Spreads out among the ones you left
Who would have loved you so
I wonder if you lived and loved
I wonder if you knew
That someday I would find this spot
And come to visit you
---Author Unknown
-----------------------------

Quote from a tombstone in Mount Olivet:
"What is death but life in other forms of being, life without the coarser attributes of man, the dull, the momently decaying frame which holds the ethereal spirit in, and brings it down to brotherhood with brutes? There's no such thing as death; what's called so is but the beginning of a new existence, a fresh segment in the eternal round of change."
---------------------
"Will you come to my grave"
Will you come to my grave when my spirit has fled.
And beneath the green turf I am laid with the dead;
When the heart, that once loved you is mouldering to clay,
And the worm of the churchyard is gnawing it away.

Will you come to my grave on the brow of that hill
Where the wild mountain breezes blow dreary and chill;
Will you stay, when you hear that most desolate sound,
The night wind 'mid the ruins of that hollowed ground?

When you come to my grave - and you think of the past--
May a veil of oblivion for ever be cast
O'er the faults and the follies, alas! not a few,
That so often, too often, were pardoned by you.

And when over my grave, all I ask is a prayer
For the spirit that quicken the dust lying there;
And when far from my grave that your prayer may not cease
Till for ever we meet in the kingdom of peace!

Dublin , January 4, 1851 W. N. S.
********

"When we die," asked Rabbit, "where do we go?"
"Into the hearts of those who have loved us most." said Bear. "That way we're together forever."
--------
A good life hath its number of days
But a good name shall continue forever.
-------
Each new life... No matter how fragile or brief... Forever changes the world
******
"February Song"
Where has that old friend gone
Lost in a February song
Tell him it won't be long
Til he opens his eyes, opens his eyes
Where is that simple day
Before colors broke into shades
And how did I ever fade
Into this life, into this life

And I never want to let you down
Forgive me if I slip away
When all that I've known is lost and found
I promise you I, I'll come back to you one day

Morning is waking up
And sometimes it's more than just enough
When all that you need to love
Is in front of your eyes
It's in front of your eyes

And I never want to let you down
Forgive me if I slip away
Sometimes it's hard to find the ground
Cause I keep on falling as I try to get away
From this crazy world

And I never want to let you down
Forgive me if I slip away
When all that I've known is lost and found
I promise you I, I'll come back to you one day

Where has that old friend gone
Lost in a February song
Tell him it won't be long
Til he opens his eyes
Opens his eyes
~~ Josh Groban
*******************
Also a little known sonnet "Resurgam" found in a newspaper account for John Singleton Mosby in 1916, also found reference on on stone at Mt Olivet
When I return to earth again - build thou
No stately mausoleum for my grave,
(No polished slab of marble do I crave
With richly chiseled letters) nor allow
Aspiring shafts of granite to arise
Strew not fresh flowers on a holiday,
Nor cut the riotous weeds and grass away;
But let me rest unnoticed 'neath the skies.

For flowers fade, and granite falls away ,
White marble crumbles into dust, the wind
Will tear the flags to tatters, and the rain
And moss will blur my name - while yet my clay
Shall revel in the grasses, unconfined
And, flushed with sun and rain, find
Life again.
******
Born into the arms of the Angels.
*****************
God, grant me the strength
of eagle wings,
the faith and courage
to fly to new heights,
and the wisdom
to rely on His spirit to carry me there.
- Native American Prayer for Serenity -
****************
Too well loved to be ever forgotten.
**********
Onward,
Homeward,
Heartward
To a sense of peace,
Whose being is the
Promise
And the presence
Of a gentle God.
- Sr. Ann Marie Slavin, OSF
**************
If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other
.- Mother Teresa
***************
WHEN I AM AMONG THE TREES, by Mary Oliver
When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.
I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.
Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, "Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.
And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine."
****************
COINS LEFT ON TOMBSTONES
While visiting some cemeteries you may notice that headstones marking certain graves have coins on them, left by previous visitors to the grave.
These coins have distinct meanings when left on the headstones of those who gave their life while serving in America's military, and these meanings vary depending on the denomination of coin.
A coin left on a headstone or at the grave site is meant as a message to the deceased soldier's family that someone else has visited the grave to pay respect.
Leaving a penny at the grave means simply that you visited. A nickel indicates that you and the deceased trained at boot camp together, while a dime means you served with him in some capacity. By leaving a quarter at the grave, you are telling the family that you were with the solider when he was killed.
According to tradition, the money left at graves in national cemeteries and state veterans cemeteries is eventually collected, and the funds are put toward maintaining the cemetery or paying burial costs for indigent.
***************
One Final Gift
Scatter me not to restless winds
Nor toss my ashes to the sea.
Remember now those years gone by....
When loving gifts I gave to thee.
Remember now the happy times....
The family ties we shared
Don't leave my resting place unmarked
As though you never cared.
Deny me not one final gift
For all who come to see....
A single lasting proof that says
I loved....and you loved me.
by D. J. Kramer
================
"We are the Storytellers, called by our ancestors. In each family, there is one who seems called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones and make them live again, to tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know and approve. Doing Genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts, but instead, breathing life into all who have gone before. We are the story tellers of the tribe." Written by Helen Holshouser.
------------
Patience visited me
And it reminded me
That good things take time to come to fruition
And grow slowly with stability
Peace visited me
And it reminded me
That I may remain calm through the storms of life
Regardless of the chaos surrounding me
Hope visited me
And it reminded me
That better times lay ahead
And it would always be there to guide and uplift me
Humility visited me
And it reminded me
That I may achieve it
Not by trying to shrink myself and make myself less
But by focusing on serving the world and uplifting those around me
Kindness visited me
And it reminded me
To be more gentle, forgiving and compassionate toward myself
And those surrounding me
Confidence visited me
And it reminded me
To not conceal or suppress my gifts and talents
In order to make others feel more comfortable
But to embrace what makes me me
Focus visited me
And it reminded me
That other people's insecurities and judgements about me
Are not my problem
And I should redirect my attention
From others back to me
Freedom visited me
And it reminded me
That no one has control over my mindset, thoughts and wellbeing
But me
And love visited me
And it reminded me
That I need not search for it in others
As it lies within me.
©Tahlia Hunter

Remember the fallen. Honor those who serve. Teach the next generation the value of freedom.
+ + + + + + +
"The people that you love live on inside of you"
*******************
" Each of you has contributed to the magic of our family. Thank you for your love and look for me in every sunset. "
******************
"Warm summer sun, Shine kindly here, Warm southern wind, Blow softly here. Green sod above, Lie light, lie light. Good night, dear heart, Good night, good night "(Mark Twain)
***********
"To imagine that at the time of our dying we will have the physical strength, emotional stability, and mental clarity to do the work of a lifetime is a ridiculous gamble"
*********************
This is my wish for you :
Comfort on difficult days,
smiles when sadness intrudes,
rainbows to follow the clouds,
laughter to kiss your lips,
sunsets to warm your heart,
hugs when spirits sag,
beauty for your eyes to see,
friendships to brighten your being,
faith so that you can believe,
confidence for when you doubt,
courage to know yourself,
patience to accept the truth,
Love to complete your life ..
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~
+++++++++++++++++++
Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us every day.
********
"Why does it take a minute to say hello and forever to say goodbye?"
*****************************
Say Their Names
Stop what you are doing.
And consider this for a moment
We will each die twice.
We did the first time when
We take our very last breath,
And our heart beats one final time.
We die a second time
When our name
Is spoken out loud
For the very last time
And we are forgotten.
Say their Names
Tell Their Families
We Still Care
About their service and sacrifices
Freedom is never free.
- Wreaths Across America
+++++++++++++++
"Know when to seek peace / For as long as the moon shall rise / For as long as the rivers shall flow / For as long as the sun shall shine / For as long as the grass shall grow / Let us have peace."
—Native American Poem
*************
Deep peace of the quiet Earth to you.
***********
"When You Meet Someone Deep in Grief"
Slip off your needs
and set them by the door.
Enter barefoot
this darkened chapel
hollowed by loss
hallowed by sorrow
its gray stone walls
and floor.
You, congregation
of one
are here to listen
not to sing.
Kneel in the back pew.
Make no sound,
let the candles
speak.
By Patricia McKernon Runkle
----------------------------------
"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world"
-Desmond Tutu
****************
If you can remember me, I will be with you always.
( Isabel Allende)
------------------
Should we lose each other in the shadow of the evening trees
I'll wait for you
And should I fall behind
Wait for me
(Bruce Springsteen)
*********
"Tread softly, dreams are buried here." Unknown
********************
When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced.
Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice
- Native American Proverb
+++++++++++++++

A pocket full of sorrows
I shall take away for you
A handful of flowers
I shall lay down for you
A river full of tears
I shall cry for you
A forever full of memories
I shall remember of you
--Taken from A Little Book of Poetry by Athey Thompson
+++++++++++++++++
"Grief is just love with no place to go."
*************************
"We get no choice. If we love, we grieve."
*******************************
When you are sorrowful, look again.
*****************
Be still.
Close your eyes.
Breathe.
Listen for my footfall in your heart.
I am not gone but merely walk within you
**************
"When someone you love becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure."
******************************************
"Grief never ends… But it changes. It's a passage, not a place to stay. Grief is not a sign of weakness, nor a lack of faith… It is the price of love."
— Unknown
**********

Your journey is not the same as mine, and my journey is not the same as yours.
But if you meet me on a certain path, may we encourage each other to carry on and remind each other that we are not alone ..
----------------------------
"Not everyone gets to go home for Thanksgiving......"
*************

"Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart and you'll never walk alone."
******************************
"Come back. Even as a shadow, even as a dream."
********************************
"Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything."
********************************
May the breeze blow new strength into your being, and may you believe in the courage of yourself.
May you walk gently through the world, keeping your loved one with you always, knowing that you are never parted in the beating of your heart.
May the sun bring you energy every day, bringing light into the darkness of your soul. May the moon softly restore you by light bathing you in the glow of restful sleep and peaceful dreams. ... May the rain wash away your worries, and cleanse the hurt that sits in your heart. "
**************
Though we need to weep your loss,
You dwell in that safe place in our hearts,
Where no storm or night or pain can reach you.
- excerpt from On the Death of the Beloved by John O'Donohue
************
And, If I just hold on
Hold on tight
Will the fair wind take me
To where the sun does shine bright
There be no more talk of dark days
Only sun shine days of light
If I just hold on
Hold on tight
Taken from " A Little Book Of Poetry " by Athey Thompson
*******************
Your body is away from me
but there is a window open
from my heart to yours.
- Excerpt from The Window by Rumi
*****************
Grief
Grief is a room, invisible.
You are pushed into it.
For a while, it is the only
room in your house.
You stumble around,
No lights, No clocks.
No windows.
Empty.
When darkness is dark enough-
enough!- you cross
the threshold, return
to the visible world.
Dust on your desk,
on the fruit bowl.
Kitchen, Remember to eat.
Living room, Agree to talk
When dust chages
your living skin,
you'll step outside
Sun and wind will be at play
and you'll find yourself smiling
Really, I mean find yourself-
you've been lost all this time.
You have the whole place back now.
but that room will always be there,
and the door will always be open.
By Patricia McKernon Runkle
**********
"He will remain treasured in the hearts of all who knew him."
***********
To Live In The Hearts of Those We Love Is Never To Die
----------
Always in our thoughts, forever in our hearts.
*********
"God called your name so gently, That only you could hear, No one heard the footsteps of the Angels drawing near... Softly from the shadows, There came a gentle call, You closed your eyes and went to sleep... You quietly left us all."
**************************
"The darker the night, the brighter the stars, the deeper the grief, the closer is God!"
************************
Anita Bergen — If we have experienced true Love, the grief of losing a loved one will not pass. Grief is a process… it will change. The cold, numbing pains of grief evolve into the loving memories that warm our heart.
**********
"Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won't either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted a many as you could."
— Louise Erdrich
***********
Anita Bergen — The purpose of life is learning how to love — and continuing to love, though you've been hurt, betrayed, or broken. Despite the risk and the wreckage, love is worth it. In the end, it's the only thing that matters.
***********
."Our cemeteries are full of people who prayed to live."
"What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." - Helen Keller
"There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart." - Mahatma Gandhi
"The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example." - Benjamin Disraeli
***********
"Remember, Honor, Teach"
************
Passing stranger, pity not
Him who lies here, all forgot,
'Neath this earth;
Some one loved him—more can fall
To no mortal. Love is all
Life is worth.
excerpt from "At the Grave of the Forgotten" by Effie Waller Smith
**************
Excerpted from Gen Colin Powell at the 2018 US Capitol Memorial Day Concert:
This memorial day as we honor those who died in service, let us pledge in the name of the families who have suffered such an in-conscionable loss that we will never forget the sacrifices of their loved ones, but how can we help those left behind,…. to these families who have lost so much let us reach out in loving support
the smallest acts of kindness can be the most important;
sharing can help all of us heal
it is in our willingness to listen to let them share their grief and their memories
that we can make all the difference
if we listen we will understand what these families need us to know
that the grave marker is not just a number or a name but a person who loved and was loved
if we listen, we will understand that grief has no time limit
it is not easy but remember
tonight is a testament that they are not alone
there is help and encouragement on the journey
God bless all of these families, and God bless you all.
"They served for us, now it is our chance to serve for them. "
*******************
Always be kinder than necessary.
*******************
Peace, my heart, let the time for the parting be sweet.
Let it not be a death but completeness.
Let love melt into memory and pain into songs.
Let the flight through the sky end in the folding of the wings over the nest.
Let the last touch of your hands be gentle like the flower of the night.
Stand still, O Beautiful End, for a moment, and say your last words in silence.
I bow to you and hold up my lamp to light you on your way.
--------------
Any memorials that you would like transferred, let me know. I will transfer when you send me a message from the edit tab, so i can be sure to transfer the right person to you. Feel free to use my photos, they are there for everyone to use. Please leave message on contributor page or on edit tab
*********
Your tombstone stands among the rest
Neglected and alone
The name and date are chiseled out
On polished marble stone
It reaches out to all who care
It is too late to mourn
You did not know that I exist
You died and I was born
Yet each of us are cells of you
In flesh, in blood and bone
Our blood contracts and beats a pulse
Entirely not our own
Dear Ancestor, the place you filled
One hundred years ago
Spreads out among the ones you left
Who would have loved you so
I wonder if you lived and loved
I wonder if you knew
That someday I would find this spot
And come to visit you
---Author Unknown
-----------------------------

Quote from a tombstone in Mount Olivet:
"What is death but life in other forms of being, life without the coarser attributes of man, the dull, the momently decaying frame which holds the ethereal spirit in, and brings it down to brotherhood with brutes? There's no such thing as death; what's called so is but the beginning of a new existence, a fresh segment in the eternal round of change."
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"Will you come to my grave"
Will you come to my grave when my spirit has fled.
And beneath the green turf I am laid with the dead;
When the heart, that once loved you is mouldering to clay,
And the worm of the churchyard is gnawing it away.

Will you come to my grave on the brow of that hill
Where the wild mountain breezes blow dreary and chill;
Will you stay, when you hear that most desolate sound,
The night wind 'mid the ruins of that hollowed ground?

When you come to my grave - and you think of the past--
May a veil of oblivion for ever be cast
O'er the faults and the follies, alas! not a few,
That so often, too often, were pardoned by you.

And when over my grave, all I ask is a prayer
For the spirit that quicken the dust lying there;
And when far from my grave that your prayer may not cease
Till for ever we meet in the kingdom of peace!

Dublin , January 4, 1851 W. N. S.
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"When we die," asked Rabbit, "where do we go?"
"Into the hearts of those who have loved us most." said Bear. "That way we're together forever."
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A good life hath its number of days
But a good name shall continue forever.
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Each new life... No matter how fragile or brief... Forever changes the world
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"February Song"
Where has that old friend gone
Lost in a February song
Tell him it won't be long
Til he opens his eyes, opens his eyes
Where is that simple day
Before colors broke into shades
And how did I ever fade
Into this life, into this life

And I never want to let you down
Forgive me if I slip away
When all that I've known is lost and found
I promise you I, I'll come back to you one day

Morning is waking up
And sometimes it's more than just enough
When all that you need to love
Is in front of your eyes
It's in front of your eyes

And I never want to let you down
Forgive me if I slip away
Sometimes it's hard to find the ground
Cause I keep on falling as I try to get away
From this crazy world

And I never want to let you down
Forgive me if I slip away
When all that I've known is lost and found
I promise you I, I'll come back to you one day

Where has that old friend gone
Lost in a February song
Tell him it won't be long
Til he opens his eyes
Opens his eyes
~~ Josh Groban
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Also a little known sonnet "Resurgam" found in a newspaper account for John Singleton Mosby in 1916, also found reference on on stone at Mt Olivet
When I return to earth again - build thou
No stately mausoleum for my grave,
(No polished slab of marble do I crave
With richly chiseled letters) nor allow
Aspiring shafts of granite to arise
Strew not fresh flowers on a holiday,
Nor cut the riotous weeds and grass away;
But let me rest unnoticed 'neath the skies.

For flowers fade, and granite falls away ,
White marble crumbles into dust, the wind
Will tear the flags to tatters, and the rain
And moss will blur my name - while yet my clay
Shall revel in the grasses, unconfined
And, flushed with sun and rain, find
Life again.
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Born into the arms of the Angels.
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God, grant me the strength
of eagle wings,
the faith and courage
to fly to new heights,
and the wisdom
to rely on His spirit to carry me there.
- Native American Prayer for Serenity -
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Too well loved to be ever forgotten.
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Onward,
Homeward,
Heartward
To a sense of peace,
Whose being is the
Promise
And the presence
Of a gentle God.
- Sr. Ann Marie Slavin, OSF
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If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other
.- Mother Teresa
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WHEN I AM AMONG THE TREES, by Mary Oliver
When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.
I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.
Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, "Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.
And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine."
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COINS LEFT ON TOMBSTONES
While visiting some cemeteries you may notice that headstones marking certain graves have coins on them, left by previous visitors to the grave.
These coins have distinct meanings when left on the headstones of those who gave their life while serving in America's military, and these meanings vary depending on the denomination of coin.
A coin left on a headstone or at the grave site is meant as a message to the deceased soldier's family that someone else has visited the grave to pay respect.
Leaving a penny at the grave means simply that you visited. A nickel indicates that you and the deceased trained at boot camp together, while a dime means you served with him in some capacity. By leaving a quarter at the grave, you are telling the family that you were with the solider when he was killed.
According to tradition, the money left at graves in national cemeteries and state veterans cemeteries is eventually collected, and the funds are put toward maintaining the cemetery or paying burial costs for indigent.
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One Final Gift
Scatter me not to restless winds
Nor toss my ashes to the sea.
Remember now those years gone by....
When loving gifts I gave to thee.
Remember now the happy times....
The family ties we shared
Don't leave my resting place unmarked
As though you never cared.
Deny me not one final gift
For all who come to see....
A single lasting proof that says
I loved....and you loved me.
by D. J. Kramer
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"We are the Storytellers, called by our ancestors. In each family, there is one who seems called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones and make them live again, to tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know and approve. Doing Genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts, but instead, breathing life into all who have gone before. We are the story tellers of the tribe." Written by Helen Holshouser.
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Patience visited me
And it reminded me
That good things take time to come to fruition
And grow slowly with stability
Peace visited me
And it reminded me
That I may remain calm through the storms of life
Regardless of the chaos surrounding me
Hope visited me
And it reminded me
That better times lay ahead
And it would always be there to guide and uplift me
Humility visited me
And it reminded me
That I may achieve it
Not by trying to shrink myself and make myself less
But by focusing on serving the world and uplifting those around me
Kindness visited me
And it reminded me
To be more gentle, forgiving and compassionate toward myself
And those surrounding me
Confidence visited me
And it reminded me
To not conceal or suppress my gifts and talents
In order to make others feel more comfortable
But to embrace what makes me me
Focus visited me
And it reminded me
That other people's insecurities and judgements about me
Are not my problem
And I should redirect my attention
From others back to me
Freedom visited me
And it reminded me
That no one has control over my mindset, thoughts and wellbeing
But me
And love visited me
And it reminded me
That I need not search for it in others
As it lies within me.
©Tahlia Hunter