Gravestone Inscriptions

Death comes as an end. Well, those who are Hercule Poirot fans I am sure would know what am I talking about - yes it is the title of an Agatha Christie book. Death and dying I think definitely comes as an end, at the same time I think it is a beginning of new journey. But yes, the pain of losing a person close to you and dear to you is colossal. All this is the reason I think we give so much to the last rites. We want the soul of the person to be peaceful and without any conflict. At least in those cultures, where they believe in the concept of soul. Gravestones are a very significant part of the last rights after the burial of the deceased person is done. These headstones as they are called are important because words in the memory of the deceased individual are inscribed there.

Inscription Suggestions for a Gravestone

The epitaphs can be based on different themes and types of wordings. There are a number of ideas based on these themes. The ideas can be humorous, can have religious or poetic verses as well. In some cases, the inscriptions can also have song lyrics. For instance, a humorous one for mothers could be - 'She drank good ale, good punch and wine, and lived to the age of 99'. Poems and songs often turn out to be a significant part of a person's life. So putting a favorite song or lines from a poem will be a great way to remember that person. Let's look at some examples.

Examples

Example 1
Precious Memories of
Edward Harris
A Devoted Husband, Father and Grandfather
Born May 2, 1922
Died January 4, 2000
Always Rest In Peace

Example 2
These examples are very simple and very common -

• In memory of
• Precious memories of
• Treasured memories of
• Gone from home but not from our hearts
• Eternally loved
• Cherished memories of
• Forever young, forever in our hearts
• Precious are the memories of (the name of the deceased)
• As a mother and wife you cared for us, the Lord will now care for you"
• Your memory will live on in our thoughts and heart
• Praying you are peaceful and in the arms of the Lord
• Your smile, love and heart will be missed forever
• Rest now, your soul is free
• The love you gave, will never die

Example 3
Here is an example, a verse from poem. This is a poem by Emily Dickinson -

"Death is a dialog between
The spirit and the dust.
Dissolve," says Death.
The Spirit, "Sir, I have another trust."
Death doubts it, argues from the ground.
The Spirit turns away,
Just laying off, for evidence,
An overcoat of clay."

Example 4
To keep the memory of the person who is dead one can also have personalized headstone inscription. You can have a catch phrase very often used by that person or a quote liked by that person on the gravestone. It could be related to your loved ones hobby and passion or even profession too can be put as headstone sayings.

Eventually, what is written and how artistic it is does not matter. What matters is that the writing on headstones for graves connect with your loved one and his or her memory is kept alive. If at all it has happened that the person died suddenly and you did not get time to see that person, the inscription can be a bit of consolation.

All this is painful to the extent of being out of the capacity of being expressed, but it has to be done, although the loss is irreparable.