What Will You Have On Your Tombstone?
Remember that commercial? For the pizza?
Anyways, it's a tough question. What would you want on your tombstone? In the Jewish religion, you wait a year after a person dies to place a stone on the grave. At the year marker, you have an unveiling, where the stone is uncovered for all to see.
I am glad that I had that time to come up with wording for Joe's stone. What words could possibly sum up someone's life? I struggled with this task for months. In fact it took me so long to come up with the right words, it almost wasn't ready for the unveiling.
Instead of just showing you the words on his stone, I thought I'd share my speech that I gave at the unveiling. It explains the quote that can be found under his name, dob/dod, as well as "Loving husband, father, son, and friend to many."
Here it is:
When I was 8 months pregnant with Jacob, Joe and I took a trip to Montreal to see Bruce Springsteen, Joe’s favorite singer, in concert. Joe was jumping around, singing along to every song.
But then the song, “Into the Fire” came on. The song is about someone dying and the people left behind hoping to gain strength, faith, hope and love from this person. Joe put his head right up to my belly and sang the whole song to Jacob.
When Jacob was born, Joe would sing the song to him all the time. As soon as Joshua was big enough inside me to sing to, Joe would sing these words to him as well.
I think that once Joe became a dad he found a strength, faith, hope and love that he never had before. I picked these words to be on Joe’s stone because I believe that they are true.
I think that Joe will show us strength at times of weakness, faith when we believe in nothing, hope when we feel hopeless, and most importantly love. When Jacob and Joshua get older and read these words on Joe’s stone, I hope that they will feel their father’s love for them, and just maybe, have some memory of him singing these words to them.
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
Anyways, it's a tough question. What would you want on your tombstone? In the Jewish religion, you wait a year after a person dies to place a stone on the grave. At the year marker, you have an unveiling, where the stone is uncovered for all to see.
I am glad that I had that time to come up with wording for Joe's stone. What words could possibly sum up someone's life? I struggled with this task for months. In fact it took me so long to come up with the right words, it almost wasn't ready for the unveiling.
Instead of just showing you the words on his stone, I thought I'd share my speech that I gave at the unveiling. It explains the quote that can be found under his name, dob/dod, as well as "Loving husband, father, son, and friend to many."
Here it is:
When I was 8 months pregnant with Jacob, Joe and I took a trip to Montreal to see Bruce Springsteen, Joe’s favorite singer, in concert. Joe was jumping around, singing along to every song.
But then the song, “Into the Fire” came on. The song is about someone dying and the people left behind hoping to gain strength, faith, hope and love from this person. Joe put his head right up to my belly and sang the whole song to Jacob.
When Jacob was born, Joe would sing the song to him all the time. As soon as Joshua was big enough inside me to sing to, Joe would sing these words to him as well.
I think that once Joe became a dad he found a strength, faith, hope and love that he never had before. I picked these words to be on Joe’s stone because I believe that they are true.
I think that Joe will show us strength at times of weakness, faith when we believe in nothing, hope when we feel hopeless, and most importantly love. When Jacob and Joshua get older and read these words on Joe’s stone, I hope that they will feel their father’s love for them, and just maybe, have some memory of him singing these words to them.
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
7 comments:
I love the words you chose to put on Joe's stone. They hold such power. I still hear that song over and over and it gives me hope for the future and for you guys.
For those of you not present at the unveiling, I have to tell you that B shared this speech with such grace, eloquence and love. She was an inspiration herself. I was in awe.
Beautiful.
Your talk was amazing, with a quiet elegance.
Agreed. I love this post.
When I was in Taranaki last (Christmas/New Year) I was coming back to Hawera from New Plymouth via the coastal route.
I got into Opunake (great surf spot) and as I came into town I saw the sign for the lookout. I had never been to the lookout so I went and checked it out.
The lookout was right beside a cemetary but just a little further was the site of an old Maori Pa. I went and checked out the Pa site and on the way back I walked through the cemetary.
Cemetarys fascinate me. I read the tombstones and look at the pictures on them and I often wonder why they died or what sort of life they led.
There were some really beautiful things written on some of them but I guess the most disheartening thing was seeing all the graves of children. Those make me think the most. Why did they die? What would they be doing today if they hadn't died? etc.
People feel uneasy going to cemetarys but they're missing out on history.
B, when you visit Joe with the boys have you ever checked out the other graves?
LW,,
Joe is buried in a really small memorial park. I love it because we are always the only ones there, and the boys can run free. When it's nice out, we often have picnics at his grave. It's heartbreakingly cute to watch Jacob feed french fries to Joe.
So yes, I have had the chance to look at the other stones. I have looked at all of them many times. (There's prob. only 60 altogether.)
There's only one child buried there, but many young men. I love reading the inscriptions on the stones. It often sums up the essence of the person buried. It appears that Joe is buried among some really great people.
Oh my, that speech gave me chills the first time I heard it and just again. It is amazing and deeply moving. You are so strong......
Kristi,
I love that you downloaded the song!
KM, Mel, Rebecca, and Jrowe, I am strong in part because I have such great friends to help me when I'm not strong.
Walt, SM, Jen, and Leslie, thanks for your words. I always value your responses.
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