This is the speech I read at the cemetery yesterday evening. Family and friends gathered around their grave in a circle to celebrate their birthday. Thank you everyone who came to celebrate. It was so comforting having you there supporting us through this hard time of grief.
Standing here before us was once the body of our beloved daughter Faith and Hope. The bible tells us God planted a garden and made our first parents from the dust of the earth. Ever since then humans have longed for the garden of paradise. His saving passion, Jesus was buried in a garden and rose from the dead on the third day. Forever making all graves and graveyards holy places. We should always show great respect for the dead because while they were living it was the temple of the holy spirit. So we come here today to decorate the grave, celebrate their birthday, and show them love and respect.
Let us pray...
O God you gave us Faith and Hope as our daughters/grand daughters/nieces and with your love and grace you have called each of them home. This day we celebrate, their birth into the world exactly one year ago today. God thank you for continuing to be our light and guiding us out of the darkness of grief. God please be with us all as we journey without these two beautiful baby girls. Now that Faith and Hope have gone with you, every single memory is precious and holy. Bless each memory we have of them, that they may always live in our hearts and minds. We know you Lord are taking great care of them. One year has passed and yet we feel near to them. Our hearts yearn for their touch. Though grief as softened, a duller pain is still there. Their bodies were bound together in my womb and their souls are forever too. O Lord thank you for allowing me to give them life. I have been truly blessed by their presence and amazed with what a miracle you created. I don't grieve for them but for myself, as I truly miss them. We shared so much, yet it was only 23 days. Help me Lord realize the distance is not so great and one day we will be reunited in heaven. You took them to a place of paradise, where there is no sorrow, crying, or pain just the fulfillment of peace and joy for eternity.
Amen.
