Examples – Funerals/Memorials

Welcome

Good [time of day]. On behalf of [Spouse Name], [Childrens’ Names] and the rest of the family, as well as the staff of [Funeral Home Name], I welcome you to our celebration of [Departed’s Name] life and the commemoration of [pronoun] passing. We each arrive today with unique feelings of sadness and loss, but gather together for three shared purposes: to recognize, to honor, and to celebrate the life [Departed’s Name] lived, to say our final goodbyes to [pronoun], and to support each other as we set our feet on the path toward healing. I encourage you to quiet your minds and open your hearts to receive the loving support of all those gathered here who share your loss.

Reading

Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep

Do not stand at my grave and weep
I am not there.
I do not sleep.
I am thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn’s rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am there.
I did die.

Mary Frye

Reflection

[Departed’s Name] accepted the limitations of our natural world. [Pronoun] saw its beauty in the flower’s bloom and the river’s run. [Pronoun] recognized its majesty in the mountains high and the skies so vast. [Departed’s Name] treasured its people [pronoun] lived with and loved. And [pronoun] accepted the nature of the cycles and seasons of life. In embracing the natural world, [Departed’s Name] also knew that [pronoun] time on this earth would come to an end—but until recently [pronoun] certainly never expected to face that moment so soon. [Pronoun] did not want to leave the family that [pronoun] so loved, and the world [pronoun] so loved to explore. But [pronoun] accepted this as a part of the circle of life. [Departed’s Name] understood that there are a number of transitions over the course of life—birth, reaching adulthood, marriage, having children, retirement, and eventually death. [Departed’s Name] fought a valiant fight to try to stay with us, but it was not to be. [Pronoun] had some days and moments in the last month when [pronoun] was able to enjoy time with the family. But [Departed’s Name]’s body simply could not go on any more. And on [day of death], [Departed’s Name] died.

While we accept Nature’s cycles and the seasons of life, it is never easy to bear when we lose a loved one. While we are grateful that [Departed’s Name]’s suffering has ceased, we miss [pronoun]. And while we cherish the time we had with [pronoun], we simply want more of it. But life and death are truly beyond our capacity to control. So we are left to remember [Departed’s Name] as the vibrant, beautiful loving person [pronoun] was, and to gather strength from [pronoun] and from each other in our time of sorrow.

Closing

On this occasion, as we reflect upon life and its meaning, it is for us, the living, to dedicate ourselves anew to those great ethical aims and ideals that have long been part of our heritage; to reaffirm our commitment to friendliness and sympathy toward all of humankind; to resolve anew to bend our minds and energies toward the pursuit of truth, the creation of beauty and the advancement of freedom. Beyond the welfare of our community, we look to the world at large and seek the happiness and progress of all humanity upon this fruitful earth—so that everywhere people may have life and have it more abundantly. In honor of [Departed’s Name] and the life [pronoun] lived, and in the spirit of the continuing affirmation of life, I offer this final reflection and charge as we prepare to move back out into the world.

The tragedy of life is not death, but what we let die inside us while we live.
Decide to be happy
Render others happy
Proclaim your joy Love passionately your miraculous life
Do not wait for a better world
Be grateful for every moment of life
Switch on and keep on the positive buttons marked:
Optimism
Serenity
Confidence
Positive thinking
Love

Be grateful every day;
Meditate
Smile
Laugh
Whistle
Dance
Sing
Look with fascination at everything.
Fill your heart and lungs with liberty.
Be yourself fully and immensely.
Feel the greatness of your body, mind, heart and spirit and be convinced of your place in the world.  

We close our celebration of [Departed’s Name]’s life still with sorrow in our hearts, but also cognizant of the gift we have been given to have shared the world with [pronoun]. We vow to carry [pronoun] in our hearts, to let [pronoun] values speak through our words and actions, to share [pronoun] with each other and with the next generation through stories, pictures, and memories shared. We leave now to share in community with each other as the family invites you to share [mealtime] together—continuing to support each other, to honor [Departed’s Name], and to celebrate [pronoun] life. On behalf of the family, I thank you all for your presence here today, and for the many ways you have demonstrated your support for them in the past days and weeks. Please follow the family out as we conclude our service with some of [Departed’s Name]”s favorite music.