Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell about your feelings forever to relatives or loved ones. Of course, you can express your own feelings in obituaries or put unspent love in the inscription on the tombstone. Although, probably, the epitaph is just a way to calm oneself and convince that farewell words of love have been spoken and will live forever, carved on cold granite.
What is usually written on tombstones
Tombstones can now be very different. They are made from a variety of materials, they are given a great many forms. Differences most often depend on cultural and religious traditions. However, almost all tombstones carry some mandatory information.
So, in all cases, the last name, first name and patronymic of the deceased, his date of birth and date of death are indicated. Very often a photograph of a deceased person is also placed on the monument. However, this is not enough if loved ones mourn over the untimely relative who has left them. And then the epitaph is knocked out on a tombstone.
What is epitaph?
Epitaph is a short text in honor of a deceased person. We are used to understanding the inscription on the gravestone, but this is not entirely true. This word came to us from the ancient Greek language, and in those days by epitaph they understood a small speech about the dead, delivered at the funeral.
An epitaph can be a short inscription on a tombstone, listing the family roles of the deceased and talking about him with infinite love and respect. For example, "beloved father and dear husband." An epitaph can be a rhymed quatrain or even a scripture quote. Or maybe it can be a rather long text, not without pathos. For example, during the Renaissance, tombstones of people from noble families were decorated with detailed descriptions of the history of the clan’s origin, career successes and praises of the virtue of the deceased and all his relatives.
In Western cultures, quite often people choose inscriptions for their tombstones during their lifetime. This tradition has existed for a long time. For example, the author of his own epitaph containing curses on those who transfer human remains from the church to the crypt was supposedly William Shakespeare. And now in the West, older people or seriously ill patients often tell their relatives their will regarding what inscription they would like to see on their own gravestone.
For our reality, however, the choice of inscription for their tombstone is not so common. But for many, such an idea will seem strange in general, because we are not used to thinking about death in general and about the fact that our life path will someday end. Therefore, the responsibility for choosing the epitaph most often lies with the relatives and friends of the deceased.
Epitaph. How to choose words?
Choosing a saying that will forever become a symbol of sorrow for a dear deceased person is usually very difficult. It takes a lot of mental strength, it causes endless sadness. But this choice must be made.
You can, of course, pay homage and sorrow in the standard dictum - “Rest in peace”, “Remember. Love. We grieve. " These short phrases are used very often throughout the world. In the same way, they often resort to the use of poems, aphorisms or quotes from the Bible.
However, with a dictation knocked out on a gravestone, people sometimes want to express something more, put all their unspent love into words and express inconsolable grief. In this case, the inscription on the tombstone should express the words coming from the heart.
Epitaph services are offered by many funeral agencies. Relatives of the deceased express their wishes, and with their strict observance, feelings and sorrows are put into words.
The inscriptions on the monuments are selected taking into account whose grave they are intended for. They have a significant gender, age of a person, his family roles are important. The inscriptions on the monuments to the mother, therefore, will differ from the epitaphs to the father. However, there are universal phrases that are used in various cases.
Inscriptions on monuments to parents
Losing parents is hard. Probably the only harder thing to survive is the funeral of your child …
For parents, a common gravestone is sometimes chosen. In this case, the epitaph can be one for two. We offer you to familiarize yourself with a few sample options.
- "You will always live in our hearts."
- “You taught us many things, but you didn’t just say how to deal with the pain of your loss.”
- “Memory is the golden chain that binds us until we meet again.”
- “You have done everything for us. Now God will grant you eternal rest. ”
- “You asked so little, but you did so much for us.”
- "Your light will warm us forever."
- "We remember how you loved us."
- "Together forever".
- "Love is the light that never fades."
- "We lived together in happiness, and together we are now in heaven."
Epitaphs father
The inscriptions on the monuments to the father can be as follows:
- "He left, but not forgotten."
- “You worked all your life, dad. Now you are calm. We are proud of you. You are one of the best. ”
- “His true wealth was in his heart. And he gave us his goodness without a trace."
- “He taught us to be the best. Now we will become so for the sake of his blessed memory. ”
- "He was a loving father, affectionate and kind."
- "His greatest joy was to make others happy."
- “He fulfilled his mission on this earth. And now he has ascended into heaven alone. ”
- "The world became colder when God took you to him."
- “We loved him very much. But God loved him more. ”
- “God took him to him. Such is His will. But in our hearts, the beloved husband and father will live forever. "
Epitaphs for mother
And we offer the following options as inscriptions on the monuments to mom.
- "God grant you eternal rest, dear mother."
- "She lives in our memory and will live forever and ever."
- "Her friendship was an inspiration, and love a blessing."
- "My mother is the main shrine, the memory of which I will keep in my heart forever."
- “She is gone. But we remember the music of her good heart."
- "Grace was in her every step, the sky in her eyes, and in every gesture - dignity and love."
- "She loved everyone."
- “If our love could save her, she would not die.”
- “She touched everyone with her love and kindness.”
- "God took from the earth the brightest angel - my mother."
