Committals & Farewells

[name], your life we honour. Your departure we accept. Your memory we cherish. And although there is grief today as we say goodbye, there is gratitude for your life.

We are truly grateful for the privilege of having shared life with you.

But rest now at the end of your days. Rest in the hearts and minds of all those who love you.

And so with love we shall leave you in peace.

And with respect we bid you a fond farewell.

[name], may your love be reflected in all who knew you, and may you continue to live on through the lives of those you leave behind.

Your legacy is the memory of a great name and a great example.

And so, into the freedom of wind and sunshine

We let you go

Into the dance of the moon and planets

We let you go

Into the wind’s breath and the hands of the star maker

We let you go

And into the sadness and smiles of our memories

We let you go

Go safely, go with love in your heart, and may you forever be at peace.

[name], you are so dearly loved. You are in our hearts and our minds, and we’ll carry you with us as we move forward with our lives.

Everything you have done is still done.

Everyone you love is still loved.

Everything we’ve learnt from you is still learnt.

And so we will let you pass from this world for which you did so much,

For which you continue to do.

Because when we walk this earth, we walk it with you.

You leave us with the strength and pride to do what is good and right,

And your memory will guide us just as you did when you were at our side.

For this we say thank you, and goodbye.

Dearest [Wife, Mum, Nan, Cousin, Aunt etc] and loyal friend.

[name], as we bid you farewell, we are thankful to have shared joy in the sun, shelter in the storms, and to have laughed in the same moment.

We will treasure the memory of your words and works, your character and quality, and will be forever enriched for having known your face.

And so your kind and generous nature we commit to our memories.

Your love, humour and friendship we commit to our hearts.

Your body we commit to its end with nature.

Thank you for all that you were and all that you gave.

Love and light to you on this your final journey.

To everything there is a season and time to every purpose here on earth; a time to be born and a time to die.

In sadness at her death but with appreciation of her life, we remember [name] and acknowledge the significance and value s/he has brought to your lives.

But now it’s time to say a final goodbye, committing his/her body to be cremated and thus committing his/her memory to our hearts for the rest of our days.

In love we leave him/her in peace.  And with respect we bid him/her farewell.

[name], there is sadness in our hearts as we say goodbye, but there is profound gratitude for your life, and you will never be forgotten.

When we are weary and in need of strength,

When we are lost and sick at heart

Response: We will remember you.

When we have a joy we crave to share,

When we have decisions that are hard to make

Response: We will remember you.

At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter,

At the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring

Response: We will remember you.

At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer,

At the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of autumn

Response: We will remember you.

As long as we live, you too will live

For you are now a part of us,

Response:  as we remember you.

Thank you [name] for all you were and all that you gave.

Love and light on this your final journey.

[name], go forth from this world knowing that you are loved beyond measure;
That you will be missed more than words can say; that you will be remembered and cherished, and that love will never end.
We will hold you close within us, and there you will remain
To be with us throughout our lives, until we meet again.

And as we now hold your memory in our hearts and send you on your final journey,
May you forever rest in peace with the certain knowledge that our love goes with you.

[name], what a wonderful life you lived and what an impact you have made on others. There’s no doubt today that at the end of your time here you’ve left behind so many hearts that are aching, you’ve left so many tears of and pains of grief, but my goodness, you’ve left behind so many warm memories and a beautiful legacy of love for your family and friends.

And so, it’s with love and gratitude that we now commit all these fond memories to be locked away in our hearts as we gently yield your body to its end with nature.

We celebrate you, we honour you, but most of all we pay tribute to that consistent love and sense of fun that you always shared so willingly with your family and the comradeship with your friends.  And we’re never going to forget you. In that certain knowledge may you rest in peace.

[name], we honour your life and are blessed to have heard your laughter, seen your smile and felt your reassuring hand in ours.  Our lives are richer for having known you and having shared in the love you gave us and the love we felt for you. You are no longer bound by this world, but a part of it. No longer tied to one place or one time, but free. And so we ask that you go now, with all our love, as tenderly and reverently we yield your body to be cremated. Earth to earth, Ashes to ashes, Dust to dust.
At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter, at the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring, we will remember you
At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer, at the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of the autumn, we will remember you.

[Name], We thank you for your understanding, unwavering support, and your dedication and devotion to your family.

We thank you for your [presence, your perseverance, your determination to be the best you could be.]

We thank you for your [daft humour, your wonderful smile, and the times you made us laugh.]

We thank you for the [magic you wove into life, and for your level headed perspectives and optimism.]

And we thank you for your [charisma, for your love of laughter, and for being the perfect example of the true meaning and wealth in this life.]

But most of all we thank you for your love and for your friendship; for the time and effort you put into our lives, for your thoughts and deeds, your cuddles and care, and for your kind and humble heart.

We thank you [name] for everything you were and all that you gave, and may you now forever rest in peace with the certain knowledge that you were, are, and will always be, dearly loved and terribly missed.

Thank you for your friendship and loyalty, for the good times and the difficulties that have provided the opportunity for change and transformation.

Thank you for the legacy you have left, for your creativity and inspiration, your guidance and your counsel.

Thank you for your care and dedication to humanity.

Thank you for the kindness and compassion you showed in times of great personal duress. Thank you for your smile and the magic you wove into the lives of those around you.

Thank you for being you. This community is a far richer place for your presence amongst us. Our love is with you wherever you are.

Sometimes there just aren’t the words.  No words are adequate.  Instead, we can harness our ability to feel and think and express in our own special ways, and so we’re going to say our goodbye’s to [name] by listening to a poignant song, and by honing in on your own individual emotions.  But we do say this: [name], thank you for the gift you have been to us. May you rest in peaceful sleep now, knowing that you will be forever loved, and terribly missed.

[name], we honour your life and are blessed to have heard your laughter, seen your smile and felt your reassuring hand in ours. Our lives are richer for having known you and having shared in the love you gave us and the love we felt for you. You are no longer bound by this world, but a part of it. No longer tied to one place or one time, but free. And so we ask that you go now, with all our love, as tenderly and reverently we yield your body to be cremated. Earth to earth, Ashes to ashes, Dust to dust.

At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter, at the opening of the buds and in the rebirth of spring, we will remember you

At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of summer, at the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of the autumn, we will remember you.

We honour your journey through life, and we remember with gratitude your deep love for your children, family and friends. We are grateful that you have been a part of our lives but we now wish you well on the next part of your journey. May you travel safely, and know that our love goes with you.

[name], as we share this moment together, it is with love and unity that we acknowledge what you brought to each of the lives here today and therefore what is now missing in your physical absence. There can be no doubt that there have been many tears shed and many hearts broken, but we also know that an energy as [beautiful and vibrant etc] as yours cannot help but remain in the hearts of all those who love you … and it will be this that drives us on, until the time comes for us to meet once more. Until that day [name], your ability to shine in the darkest of moments shall continue to light our way, as we laugh, love and live with every ounce of our being in your memory. The energy of your life we promise to embrace as we simply say thank you and farewell.

So as we say our farewells to [name],
we say thank you for all that you gave to us in life,
the warmth of your love;
your humour and friendship;
your help, guidance, and wisdom;
and the joy that you brought wherever you went.
Whilst we miss you terribly,
we are thankful that you now have the peace you deserve.

[name], we send all our love to surround you now.
As we think of our continuing journey in this life,
we promise never to forget you,
we will honour your memory by living our lives as you would want us to,
and we will take the joy and pleasure you had in life and share it freely with others.
Fare-well and thank you, [name].

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose on earth.

A time to be born and a time to die.

Here, in this last act, immune now to the changes and chances of our mortal life, we commit the body of [name] to its natural end.

Earth to earth, ashes to ashes and dust to dust.

Grateful for the life that has been lived, and grateful for all that his/her life has meant to us.

In love and respect we have celebrated, remembered and given thanks for [name]’s life.

Recalling the person that s/he been and continues to be and this will remain in our hearts and minds for ever.

May s/he now rest in peace.

The time has come for us now to bid [name], farewell.
[name], we let you go now in peace, thankful for all you have been, treasuring your eternal love and promising to support and love each other in the coming days and weeks.

The separateness, the uniqueness of each human life is the basis of our grief in bereavement.
Look through the whole world and there is no one like [name], but s/he still lives on in your memories, and though no longer a visible part of your lives, [name],  will always remain a member of your family and of your circle, through the influence s/he has had on you and the special part s/he played in your lives.  As we let [name],  go in peace, we also take her/him with us as we leave here, in that most special of places, the depth of our hearts.

We’re coming to the end of this celebration of [name]’s life. But before we go our separate ways we  pause for a moment to reflect on all that we have heard and shared.  Perhaps to recall our own personal and favourite memories of [name], … (Pause)
Just as a child is welcomed into our lives, there is also a time to say goodbye when someone leaves us. So now we say goodbye to [name],.  It may be difficult, there may be tears, but it is important that we do this, but knowing they leave with us treasure beyond words.

Now is the time to return [name],’s body back to the earth that for xx years s/he has called home.  Just as the elements came together to create you, so now we ask those same elements enfold you and keep you safe as once again you become part of something greater that each of us and more than we know or understand.

Now is the time to say goodbye to [name].
[name],  is now free from any pain or distress s/he may have encountered.
Now is the time for us to let go of any times we hurt [name], and remember the love we shared
Now is the time to say to [name], we forgive you anything that you may have done to hurt us and send you on your way with our unconditional love.
Now, though we may be sad, is the time to remember the laughter we shared, the fun we had and the joy of being in each-others company, trusting that in time these tears of sadness will be replaced by tears of joy.
Goodbye [name], and thank you for being you, and being part of our lives.

[name] your life we honour. Your departure we accept. Your memory we cherish.

And although there is grief today as we say goodbye, there is gratitude for your life.

We are truly grateful for the privilege of having shared life with you.

But rest now at the end of your days. Rest in the hearts and minds of all those who love you.

And so with love we shall leave you in peace.

And with respect we bid you a fond farewell.

We have been celebrating and remembering with affection and gratitude the life of [name], the many good times we shared and the love s/he freely gave to us all.
So in sorrow, but with deep love and affection we now commit [name], s earthly body to be transformed into the elements of the universe.  But as we do, we promise to cherish her/his memory and
look for memories of the good times in the beauty of the earth we see around us.

Good Morning/Afternoon and welcome – we come together today

to remember and to lovingly commit [name],to his final resting place.

At this time when words say so little and tears so much we will remember [name],  with gladness and for what he has meant to each of you.

Today at this small intimate service we continue to give thanks for [name],  life with this prayer thanksgiving for his life –

O God of all goodness, we pray that you receive [name], into your tender and loving care.

We give thanks for [name],’s life and to remember with gratitude his deep love for his family, for all that he brought into this world and for all of those wonderful and special memories that he has given to us and which we have and hold dear.

We ask that you guard, guide and protect him keeping him safe for evermore.

Amen

Good Morning and welcome – we come together today

to remember and to lovingly commit [name], to his final resting place.

At this time when words say so little and tears so much we will remember [name],  with gladness and for what s/he has meant to each of you.

Today at this small intimate service we continue to give thanks for [name],  life with this prayer thanksgiving for his life –

O God of all goodness, we pray that you receive [name], into your tender and loving care.

We give thanks for [name],’s life and to remember with gratitude his/her deep love for his/her family, for all that he brought into this world and for all of those wonderful and special memories that s/he has given to us and which we have and hold dear.

We ask that you guard, guide and protect him/her keeping him safe for evermore. Amen

On this day and surrounded by his loved ones we now dedicate this simple area amidst these natural surroundings to every beautiful and precious memory of [name],

[name], will always be part of this place for all time through the chill of the winter, the freshness of the spring, the warmth of the summer and the mists of the Autumn – s/he will always be here.

Earth has been the main support of all mankind since first we walked beneath the sky. To all human beings, to all living forms, the soil has

forever provided the sustenance that is the staff of life.

To that great earth we now commit [name],

Earth to earth, ashes to ashes and dust to dust

May s/he now rest in peace and light perpetual shine upon him/her. Amen

And so as we come to the end of this service we will

shortly leave this area sacred to the memory of [name].

After the clouds we have sunshine

After the winter the spring

After the shower the rainbow

For life is a changeable thing.

After the night the morning

Bidding all darkness cease

And after life’s cares and sorrows

The comfort and sweetness of peace.

As we prepare to leave, let us entrust [name]’s body to the earth from which he came. All life is formed of earth and returns to the bosom of Mother Nature: earth to earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashes. We commend [name] and the memory we have of him/her to this ceaseless round, knowing that in time, we too shall join this circle

[name], we say to you in the midst of our sorrow and loss that we are grateful that you lived your life among us. We are grateful for your quiet gentleness and for your firm resolve to live life and to die on your own terms. We take joy and relief in knowing that your suffering has ended. We ask you now for forgiveness for any of the ways we may have hurt you in this life – – and we forgive you for any of the ways you may have hurt us. We release you now into the Everlasting Arms. May your passage be swift. May you know Wholeness and Peace now and through all eternity