To Those I Love
 

If I should ever leave you whom I love 
To go along the Silent Way, grieve not, 
Nor speak of me with tears, but laugh and talk 
Of me as if I were beside you there. 
(I'd come - I'd come, could I but find a way! 
But would not tears and grief be barriers?)
And when you hear a song or see a bird I loved, 
please do not let the thought of me 
Be sad . . . 
For I am loving you just as
I always have . . . 
You were so good to me! 
There are so many things I wanted still 
To do - so many things to say to you . . . 
Remember that I did not fear . . . It was 
Just leaving you that was so hard to face . . . 
We cannot see Beyond . . . 
But this I know: 
I loved you so -
'twas heaven here with you!

by Isla Paschal Richardson

Back to the Top

I May Never See Tomorrow

I may never see tomorrow, 

there's no guarantee, 

and things that happened yesterday

belong to history.

I can't predict the future, 

I can't change the past,

I have just the present memories

to treat as my last.

I must use this moment wisely,

for soon it will pass away, And be lost forever 

as a part of yesterday.

I must exercise compassion,

help the fallen to their feet,

Be a friend unto the friendless,

make their life complete.

The unkind things I do today,

may never be undone,

And friendships that I fail to win,

may never more be won.

I may not have another chance

on bended knees to pray,

And I thank God with a humble heart

for giving me this day!

I may never see tomorrow,

but this moment is my own.

It's mine to use or cast aside:

the choice is mine, alone. 

I have just this precious moment 

in the sunlight of today.

Where the dawning of tomorrow

meets the dusk of yesterday.

~written by George L. Nolan

Back to the Top

HEARTPRINTS

Whatever our hands touch---
We leave fingerprints! 
On walls, on furniture, 
On doorknobs, dishes, books,
As we touch we leave our identity.

Oh please where ever I go today,
Help me leave heartprints! 
Heartprints of compassion
Of understanding and love.
Heartprints of kindness 
and genuine concern.

May my heart touch a lonely neighbor 
Or a runaway daughter, 
Or an anxious mother, 
Or, perhaps, a dear friend!

I shall go out today 
To leave heartprints, 
And if someone should say
"I felt your touch," 
May that one sense be...
YOUR LOVE Touching through ME.

~author unknown

Back to the Top

WAIT

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried.
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied. 
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate, 
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait!" 

"'Wait?', you say, wait!" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard? 
By FAITH I have asked, and am claiming your Word.

"My future and all to which I can relate 
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to WAIT? 
I'm needing a 'yes,' a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.

"And Lord, you promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!" 

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting. . .for what?"

He seemed then to kneel and His eyes wept with mine, 
And he tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.

All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want--but, you wouldn't know ME. 
"You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint;

You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair; 
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;
You'd not know the joy of resting in me 
When darkness and silence were all you could see. 

"You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of my Spirit descends like a dove;
You'd know that I give and I save. . .(for a start),
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of my heart.

"The glow of my comfort late into the night.
The faith that I give when you walk without sight, 
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST.

"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that 'My grace is sufficient for thee.' 
Yes, your dreams for your loved ones overnight would come true,
But, oh, the loss! if I lost what I'm doing in you!

"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see 
THAT THE GREATEST OF GIFTS IS TO GET TO KNOW ME.
And though oft may my answers seem terribly late,
My wisest of answers is still but to WAIT." 

-- Author Unknown 

Back to the Top

It's the Thought That Counts 

Often in times of trouble we 
don't know what to say, 
So we choose to say nothing, 
and sometimes run away. 
When friends are really hurting, 
we don't know what to do,
So we offer weak excuses 
or say we're hurting too. 

It really doesn't matter
what kind of gift we bring; 
We only need to be there
if we don't bring a thing. 

It truly is amazing
what a hug can do, 
When heartache numbs the senses, 
and friends depend on you. 

There's comfort just in knowing 
that you are not alone, 
When tears are overflowing, 
and hearts are cold as stone. 

It's the loving prayers of others 
that balance our accounts, 
For when we measure love,
it's still the thought that counts. 

By~ Clay Harrison 

Back to the Top

~ Words Left Unsaid! ~

I didn't get to say "goodbye",
And all the words I wanted you to hear.
I should have said them when I had my chance, 
But I thought that you would always be near.

I ran out of time to let you know,
Just how much you meant to me.
I should have told you, but I thought you knew,
But now I will never know, if you really did see.

When l talk to you in my prayers at night,
I hope you can hear all I have to say.
I would have told you, if only I could, 
Have had you back for one more day.

Perhaps there were words you wanted to say also, 
That were left unsaid by you. 
But I do know that you loved me, 
As you knew that I loved you too.

We should always say what we feel in our heart, 
As tomorrow may never come.
Speak those words today as you feel them, 
And never lose your chance to tell someone.

Author ~ Pamela Hall

Back to the Top

Litany of Remembrance

In the rising of the sun and in its going down
we remember them.

In the blowing of the wind, and the calm of its stillness,
we remember them.

In the opening of buds and in the rebirth of spring,
we remember them.

In the blueness of the sky and in the warmth of summer,
we remember them.

In the rustling of leaves and in the beauty of autumn,
we remember them.

In the midpoint of the year, and as its beginning and end,
we remember them.

When we are weary and in need of strength,
we remember them.

When we are lost and sick at heart,
we remember them.

When we have joys we yearn to share,
we remember them.

So long as we live, they too shall live,
for they are now part of us,
we remember them.

Back to the Top

May You Always Feel Loved

May you find serenity and tranquility 
in a world you may not always understand. 

May the pain you have known 
and the conflict you have experienced 
give you the strength to walk through life
facing each new situation
with optimism and courage.

Always know that there are those
whose love and understanding 
will always be there
even when you feel most alone.

May you discover enough goodness in others
to believe in a world of peace. 
May a kind word, a reassuring touch,
a warm smile, be yours every day of your life,
and may you give these gifts as well as receive them.

Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.
Teach love to those who know hate,
and let that love embrace you as you go into the world.

May the teaching of those you admire
become part of you, 
so that you may call upon them.

Remember, those whose lives you have touched
and who have touched yours are always a part of you, 
even if the encounters were less
than you would have wished.

May you not become too concerned 
with material matters, but instead place
immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart.

Find time in each day to see the beauty
and love in the world around you. 
Realize that each person has limitless abilities,
but each of us is different in our own way.

What you may feel you lack in one regard
may be more than compensated for in another. 
What you feel you lack in the present 
may become one of your strengths in the future.

May you see your future
as one filled with promise and possibility.
Learn to view everything
as a worthwhile experience.

May you find enough inner strength
to determine your own worth by yourself,
and not be dependent on another's judgements
of your accomplishments.

May you always feel loved.

~author unknown~ 

Back to the Top

Time Will Ease The Hurt

The sadness of the present days
Is locked and set in time,
And moving to the future
Is a slow and painful climb.

But all the feelings that are now
So vivid and so real
Can't hold their fresh intensity
As time begins to heal.

No wound so deep will ever go
Entirely away;
Yet every hurt becomes
A little less from day to day.

Nothing can erase the painful
Imprints on your mind;
But there are softer memories
That time will let you find.

Though your heart won't let the sadness
Simply slide away,
The echoes will diminish
Even though the memories stay.

~written by Bruce B. Wilmer © All rights reserved
submitted by Sandy Bliss, Lawrenceville, GA
In Memory of Her Son Brandon 

Back to the Top

My Mom Is A Survivor 

My Mom is a survivor, or so I've heard it said. 
But I hear her crying at night when all others are in bed. 
I watch her lay awake at night and go to hold her hand. 
She doesn't know I'm with her to help her understand. 
But like the sands on the beach that never wash away... 
I watch over my surviving mom, who thinks of me each day. 
She wears a smile for others...a smile of disguise. 
But through Heaven's door I see tears flowing from her eyes. 
My mom tries to cope with death to keep my memory alive. 
But anyone who knows her knows it is her way to survive. 
As I watch over my surviving mom...through Heaven's open door. 
I try to tell her that angels protect me forever more. 
But I know that doesn't help her or ease the burden she bears.
So if you get a chance, go visit her...And show her that you care.
For no matter what she says...no matter what she feels.
My surviving mom has a broken heart that time won't ever heal~! 

This poem was written by Kaye Des'Ormeaux and dedicated to Clarissa

This is in honor of the Moms who have lost a child. 
Whether it be their only child or they have other surviving children, 
the pain is the same...it still hurts and will hurt forever. 

`submitted by Ann Sechrist, Lithonia, Ga
In Memory of her son Clayton

Back to the Top

When Tomorrow Starts Without Me

When tomorrow starts without me, 
and I'm not there to see; 
If the sun should rise and find your eyes,
all filled with tears for me;
I wish so much you wouldn't cry, 
the way you did today,
while thinking of the many things, 
we didn't get to say.

I know how much you love me, 
as much as I love you, 
and each time that you think of me, 
I know you'll miss me too;
But when tomorrow starts without me,
please try to understand, 
that an Angel came and called my name, 
and took me by the hand, 
and said my place was ready, 
in heaven far above, 
and that I'd have to leave behind, 
all those I dearly love.

But as I turned to walk away,
a tear fell from my eye, 
for all life, I'd always thought, 
I didn't want to die. 
I had so much to live for, 
so much yet to do,
it seemed almost impossible,
that I was leaving you.

I thought of all the yesterdays, 
the good ones and the bad,
I thought of all the love we shared, 
and all the fun we had. 
If I could relive yesterday, 
just even for awhile,
I'd say goodbye and kiss you and maybe see you smile.
But then I fully realized, 
that this could never be, 
for emptiness and memories, 
would take the place of me.

And when I thought of worldly things, 
I might miss come tomorrow, 
I thought of you, and when I did, 
my heart was filled with sorrow. 
But when I walked through heaven's gates,
I felt so much at home.
When God looked down and smiled at me, 
from His great golden throne, 
He said, "This is eternity, and all I've promised you". 
Today for life on earth is past, 
but here it starts anew.
I promise no tomorrow,
but today will always last, 
and since each day's the same day, 
there's no longing for the past. 
But you have been so faithful,
so trusting and so true. 
Though there were times you did some things, 
you knew you shouldn't do. 
But you have been forgiven and now at last you're free. 
So won't you take my hand and share my life with me?

So when tomorrow starts without me, 
don't think we're far apart,
for every time you think of me, 
I'm right here, in your heart. 

David M. Romano Author

Back to the Top

Memory

There is a place called memory, 
Where we sometimes like to roam.
Through hills of love and laughter 
A place we know as home.

A place that's free from all this pain
Where our hearts are light once more. 
A place that lives forever, 
Where life is, as it was before.

Our children live in memory. 
They laugh and dance and sing. 
Their lives are filled with a magic 
That only Heaven can bring. 
They feel no hurt or anger.
Their spirits are free as air.
And God's love will always protect them
In times when we aren't there.

Cherish this place called memory. 
Feel the love that lives there. 
Remember the joys, the warmth of the sun, 
And the bond you will always share.

Smile at happy moments, 
Laugh at times gone by.
Let the tears you cry be happy ones,
Know love will never die.

Have no fear of visiting, the joy will outweigh the pain.
Learn to treasure memory for there is much that you will gain.
And though life is not as it was before,
And never will be again.
Our memories are much richer, 
Than if love had never been.

Lovingly lifted from Brazosport, Tx Chapter Web Site

Back to the Top

Don't Tell Me...

Don't tell me that you understand, don't tell me that you know,

Don't tell me that I will survive, how I will surely grow.

Don't tell me this is just a test, that I am truly blessed,

That I am chosen for this task, apart from all the rest.

Don't come at me with answers that can only come from me,

Don't tell me how my grief will pass, that I will soon be free.

Don't stand in pious judgment of the bonds I must untie,

Don't tell me how to suffer, don't tell me how to cry.

My life is filled with selfishness, my pain is all I see,

But I need you, I need your love, unconditionally.

Accept me in my ups and downs, I need someone to share,

Just hold my hand and let me cry, and say,

"My friend, I really do care."

Author Unknown 

~sumitted by Pat Kuzela, Atlanta, Ga

Back to the Top

IF WE COULD HAVE YOU BACK.....

If we could have you back for just one day 
There would be so many things we would like to say
If we could just be with you for one whole day 
To have you close and know that you really are Okay.

If we had known that you would be gone forever 
If we had known all those ties were going to be severed 
If we had known the pain, the loss, and the ache 
If we had known the difference without you would make.

In the darkness you slipped away from us all,
Now it's just your memories that we have to recall,
They say that parting is such sweet sorrow, 
But it's the longing, the wondering, and how to cope with tomorrow

They say that grieving a child is the very worst 
Cause life's plan is that the parents should go first. 
Now all we have are memories, the good times that we had, 
We spend so much time in tears, and pain and feeling sad,

So if we could have you back for just one day,
You could let us know, how to cope until that judgement day, 
When we'll be together as a family once again, 
When we'll all be happy and free from all this pain.

Oh ! it's so hard to live when your child has to die, 
Then we spend our lifetime trying to say Goodbye!

Ann M.King 
Coquitlam. BC Canada

Back to the Top

"With Hope"

This is not at all how 
We thought it was supposed to be
We had so many plans for you 
We had so many dreams
And now you are gone away 
And left us with the memories of your smile
And nothing we can say 
And nothing we can do
Can take away the pain 
The pain of losing you, but... 
We can cry with hope 
We can say goodbye with hope 
'Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no
And we can grieve with hope 
'Cause we believe with hope 
(There's a place by God's grace) 
There's a place where we'll see your face again
We'll see your face again..
And never have I known 
Anything so hard to understand
And never have I questioned more
The wisdom of God's plan 
But through the cloud of tears
I see the Father's smile and say well done
And I imagine you 
Where you wanted most to be 
Seeing all your dreams come true 
'Cause now you're home 
And now you're free, and... 
We have this hope as an anchor
'Cause we believe that everything 
God promised us is true, so... 
We wait with hope 
We ache with hope 
We hold on with hope
We let go with hope

Lyrics from the song "With Hope" 
by Steven Curtis Chapman on his new CD

Speechless

deeply moving and emotional tribute "With Hope," an ode Chapman wrote for close friends who have lost children and are struggling to find a reason to live.

Back to the Top

The Long Lonely Road
(by Sharon J. Bryant)

Dear Lord, I want to ask a favor 
I have no where else to go
I've searched for years for answers 
As I've walked a long, lonely road.

I always believed in Your word
I believed Heaven does exist 
Until tragedy struck my life
I never knew a pain could be like this.

On a cold snowy day in January
In the year of 1972 
I gave birth to my first child 
A son I wanted, as many parents do.

I loved him with all my heart 
I was always a good mother 
He was the joy of my life
The doctors said there would be no others.

I worshiped the ground he walked on 
We laughed every single day 
I didn't know I'd only have him 
For only 5 years until that fateful day.

On a warm sunny day in October 
In the year of '77 
Maybe You felt You needed him more 
When You sent the angels from Heaven.

I've tried to be strong and endure
But the road has been lonely and long 
I wanted to keep him much longer 
I don't feel I was wrong.

The pain was unbearable 
The cross too heavy to bear
I see others going through the same loss
I want to tell them I care.

There are moms and dads all over
From all corners of the earth 
That are stumbling through their daily lives 
Trying to find out their worth.

Could You help them Lord, in some way 
If angels really exist 
There's parents who really need one 
That is my only wish.

I've stumbled and fell many times 
As I walked that long, lonely road 
Sometimes I felt not another 
Knew the weight of my heavy load.

There's a place many are meeting at
Called The Compassionate Friends 
It's a room for bereaved parents
It's a place where hearts try to mend

The tragedy of losing a child 
Is the greatest pain a human can feel 
It's a part of our hearts that is missing 
It's a wound that never heals.

Back to the Top

THINGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME:

My Mother taught me LOGIC...
"If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can't go to the store with me."

My Mother taught me MEDICINE...
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they're going to freeze that way."

My Mother taught me TO THINK AHEAD...
"If you don't pass your spelling test, you'll never get a good job!"

My Mother taught me ESP...
"Put your sweater on; don't you think that I know when you're cold?"

My Mother taught me TO MEET A CHALLENGE...
"What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you...Don't talk back to me!"

My Mother taught me HUMOR... 
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT... 
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.

My mother taught me ABOUT SEX... 
"How do you think you got here?"

My mother taught me about GENETICS... 
"You are just like your father!"

My mother taught me about my ROOTS... 
"Do you think you were born in a barn?"

My mother taught me about the WISDOM of AGE... 
"When you get to be my age, you will understand."

My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION... 
"Just wait until your father gets home."

My mother taught me about RECEIVING...
You are going to get it when we get home and my all time favorite thing:

My mother taught me about JUSTICE... 
"One day you will have kids, and I hope they turn out just like YOU..then you'll see what it's like."

Nicknote: And ya know what ? EVERY Mom has probably said that last one. And it works out just the way she hoped......

Back to the Top

 

A PRAYER FOR THE CHILDREN
 

We pray for the Children who sneak Popsicle's before supper, 
who erase holes in math workbooks,
who can never find their shoes. 

And we pray for those who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire,
who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers, 
who never "counted potatoes," 
who are born in places where we wouldn't be caught dead, 
who never go to the circus, 
who live in an X-rated world. 

We pray for children who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions, 
who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money. 
And we pray for those who never get dessert, 
who have no safe blanket to drag behind them, 
who watch their parents watch them die, 
who can't find any bread to steal, 
who don't have any rooms to clean up, 
whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser, 
whose monsters are real. 

We pray for children who spend all their allowance before Tuesday,
who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food, 
who like ghost stories, 
who shove dirty clothes under the bed, 
who never rinse out the tub,
who get visits from the tooth fairy, 
who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool, 
who squirm in church and scream in the phone, 
whose tears we sometimes laugh at and 
whose smiles can make us cry. 

And we pray for those whose nightmares come in the daytime,
who will eat anything, 
who have never seen a dentist, 
who aren't spoiled by anybody, 
who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep, 
who live and move, but have no being. 

We pray for children who want to be carried and for those who must, 
who we never give up on and for those who don't get a second chance. 

For those we smother and . . . for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.

Back to the Top

This is in memory of the children and teacher killed in the shooting on Tuesday, March 24, 1998 in Jonesboro, Arkansas. 

In Memory of........ Natalie Brooks, student age 12 
Paige Ann Herring, student age 12 
Stephanie Johnson, student age 12
Brittany R. Varner, student age 11
Shannon Wright, Teacher age 32

Back to the Top

If we have listed a poem or article as (unknown) and you know the author or source, we would appreciate you emailing us that information webmaster@tcfatlanta.org

Home

Poems (Page 2) | Stories That Touch The Heart | Poems/Songs/Lyrics

Patriotic Stories 

Wall of Memory | Meeting Times | Newsletter | Suggested Reading

Grief Resource Sites | Programs & Events | Other Cities | Our Children Remembered