Also see Memorial Albums, Tribute Albums, Heritage Albums, Death and Grief, Scrapping the Difficult Times, Baby Memorial Albums, and Children Memorial Albums.

from Time Passes By

(Kathy Mattea - written by Jon Vezner and Susan Longaker. From "Time Passes By", © 1990, Polygram. © Famous Music Corporation / Universal Sheddhouse Music / WB Music Corp.)

Dreams drift away like leaves on the water.
They roll down the river and slip out of sight.
Too many times we do what we ought.
Put off 'til tomorrow what we'd really rather do tonight,
And later realize:

Time passes by, people pass on.
At the drop of a tear, they're gone.
Let's do what we dare, do what we like,
And love while we're here before time passes by.

Thoughts are like pennies we keep in our pockets.
They're never worth nothing 'til we give them away.
But love's like a promise in an un-opened letter,
Where nights full of pleasure seldom see the light of day,
When life gets in the way.

Time passes by, people pass on.
At the drop of a tear, they're gone.
Let's do what we dare, do what we like,
And love while we're here before time passes by.

Letting Go

God saw you getting tired. When a cure was not to be,
He closed his arms around you and whispered, "Come to Me".
In tears we saw you sinking. We watched you fade away.
Our hearts were almost broken, you fought so hard to stay.
But when we saw you sleeping so peacefully free from pain,
We could not wish you back to suffer so again.
So keep your arms around him Lord, and give him special care.
Make up for all he suffered and all that seemed unfair.

Miss Me - But Let Me Go

If Tomorrow Never Comes

If I knew it would be the last time that I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.
If I knew it would be the last time that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss and call you back for one more.
If I knew it would be the last time I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would videotape each action and word, so I could play them back day after day.
 If I knew it would be the last time, I could spare an extra minute or two
to stop and say "I love you," instead of assuming, you would know I do.

If I knew it would be the last time I would be there to share your day,
well I'm sure you'll have so many more, so I can let just this one slip away.
For surely there's always tomorrow to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance to make everything right.
There will always be another day to say our "I love you's",
And certainly there's another chance to say our "Anything I can do's?"

But just in case I might be wrong, and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you and I hope we never forget,
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved one tight.
So if you're waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes, you'll surely regret the day,
That you didn't take that extra time for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone, what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today, whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them and that you'll always hold them dear,
Take time to say "I'm sorry," "please forgive me," "thank you" or "it's okay".
And if tomorrow never comes, you'll have no regrets about today.

Family Chain

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 my 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.
Thought 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.

If Roses Grow in Heaven

If roses grow in Heaven Lord
Please pick a bunch for me.
Place them in my Mother's arms
and tell her they're from me.
Tell her I love her and miss her,
and when she turns to smile,
Place a kiss upon her cheek
and hold her for a while.
Because remembering her is easy,
I do it everyday,
But there is an ache within my heart
That will never go away.

Letter from Heaven

To my dearest family, some things I'd like to say
But first of all, to let you know, that I arrived okay.
I'm writing this from heaven. Here I dwell with God above.
Here, there's not more tears of sadness; Here is just eternal love.

Please do not be unhappy just because I'm out of sight.
Remember that I am with you every morning, noon, and night.
That day I had to leave you when my life on earth was through.
God picked me up and hugged me and He said, "I welcome you.

It's good to have you back again; you were missed while you were gone.
As for your dearest family, they'll be here later on.
I need you here badly, you're part of my plan.
There's so much that I have to do, to help our mortal man"

God gave me a list of things that he wished for me to do.
And foremost on the list, was to watch and care for you.
And when you lie in bed at night the day's chores put to flight.
God and I are closest to you...in the middle of the night.

When you think of my life on earth, and all those loving years.
Because you are only human, they are bound to bring you tears.
But do not be afraid to cry: it does relieve the pain.
Remember there would be no flowers, unless there was some rain.

I wish that I could tell you all that God has planned.
If I were to tell you, you wouldn't understand.
But one thing is for certain, though my life on earth is over,
I'm closer to you now, than I ever was before.

There are many rocky roads ahead of you and many hills to climb;
But together we can do it by taking one day at a time.
It was always my philosophy and I'd like it for you too;
That as you give unto the world, the world will give to you.

If you can help somebody who's in sorrow and pain;
Then you can say to God at night..."My day was not in vain."
And now I am contented...that my life was worthwhile.
Knowing as I passed along the way I made somebody smile.

So, if you meet somebody who is sad and feeling low;
Just lend a hand to pick him up, as on your way you go.
When you're walking down the street and you've got me on your mind;
I'm walking in your footsteps only half a step behind.

And when it's time for you to go...from that body to be free.
Remember you're not going...you're coming here to me.

I'm Free

Don't grieve for me now, for now I'm free.
I'm following the God laid for me.
I took God's hand when I heard the call;
I turned my back and left it all.

I could not stay another day
To laugh, to love, to work or play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way,
I found that place at the close of the day.

If my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss.
Ah, yes, these things, I too, will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow,
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life's been full, I savored much,
Good friends, good times, a loved one's touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief;
Don't lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your heart and share with me -
God wanted me now, God set me free.

When I'm Gone!

(Henry Alfred Dixon)

Nothing is Lost

Nothing is lost - not a hair, not a breath!
The lilac that blooms today is made of
last year's crumbled leaves and this morning's dew.
It has in it perhaps the breath of a tiger and
minerals that were part of an ancient dinosaur.
The raw materials of that lilac have perhaps spent time in
a seashell, a wagon wheel, a butterfly and a hawk.

How old is this morning's lilac? - And how old are you?
You are as young as the morning, as old as the world,
You are as new as a raindrop, as old as the mountains.
You are forever a part of the world.

Return

Forever in our Hearts

Spring Thaw

(Lee Avery Reed)

Not that winter seemed so long, --
We were content together, --
Our home was warm with love, it could
Withstand the fiercest weather.

Yet sometimes we would speak of spring,
Anticipate the greening
On all the views we loved so well,
Now touched with greater meaning.

Today I walk in early spring
As memories come welling...
And oh, to see a crocus bloom
And you not here for telling!

Dad:

(Sal Geeves, used with permission, as with everything on this site it is for use only in not-for-profit ways)

Our hold on you slipped and you faded, Light stolen from your gaze, You vanished beneath the silence, And drifted beyond that winter’s day.

Free from mortal coil, Do you trek rugged mountains high? With hound at heel and hat in hand, And old friends by your side?

Is your frail prison open now? Or do you ache for youth and sprite? Or is it true that Sprits rise, To subtly guide our lives?

When a-mort you receded, We cried, why couldn't you just fight? And the wind’s eternal gale blows, Your vanishing will never be right!

But I humbly know our feeble bane, None of us is a giant, Each grows and wanes and fades away, Falling from the light.

Were you as proud, as we of you? Did you live your private song? I pray that stories still unfold, In that place you now belong.

Memories Build a Special Bridge

(Emily Matthews)

Our memories build a special bridge
when loved ones have to part
to help us feel we're with them still
and sooth a grieving heart.
Our memories span the years we shared,
preserving ties that bind,
They build a special bridge of love
and bring us peace of mind.

To Remember Me

(Robert N. Test)

The day will come when my body will lie upon a white sheet neatly tucked under four corners of a mattress located in a hospital busily occupied with the living and the dying. At a certain moment a doctor will determine that my brain has ceased to function and that, for all intents and purposes, my life has stopped.

When that happens, do not attempt to instill artificial like into my body by the use of a machine. And don't call this my deathbed. Let it be called the Bed of Life, and let my body be taken from it to help others lead fuller lives.

Explore every corner of my brain. Take my cells, if necessary, and let them grow so that, someday, a speechless boy will shout at the crack of a bat and a deaf girl will hear the sound of rain against her window.

Burn what is left of me and scatter the ashes to the winds to help the flowers grow.

If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses and all prejudice against my fellow man.

If, by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you.
If you do all I have asked, I will live forever.

Poems in Memory of Mother

Here are some links to some poems that would do well in a tribute album for a mother. If the links don't work go to TheStarliteCafe and search on the titles.
One Breath Between Life and Death
Memories on Mother's Day

I previously had a poem on this page called Ascension with the permission of the author Colleen Hitchcock in March 2006. However, I have now removed it after receiving the email printed below from Colleen in December 2007.
If you have used the poem you can either remove it or contact her for permission at the address in her email.

Dear Denny,

While I gave you permission to post my Ascension poem to your site in the past, it was not in the intent to grant permission to reprint my poem in any way. While I'm sure your heart is in the right place, I appreciate you letting your visitors know that you were not granting reprinting rights on the copywritten work.
As a fellow writer, I'm sure this was not your intent, but it may be best to make that clear to your visitors, that you are not an agent, nor responsible for granting rights to reprinting my poem, and if you have visitors that would like to reprint, they should contact the author through www.colleenhitchcock.com for permission.