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Choosing Headstone Epitaphs and
Inscriptions
By Stella Rossa
When we are planning what we would like to write as a
loved ones epitaph, it is common to choose conventional
words. Usually, they are short inscriptions on the
tombstone, which are a long lasting memory of the person
buried. Deciding what you would like a saying or
inscription to say is not an easy task. We want words
that are fitting and often, in times of grief, it can
feel like no words are good enough. Many people choose
their quotes from stories or poetry or religion. You
could try to think of what your friend or relative is
most known for, and choose something relevant to them.
Once we have said our goodbyes and buried a person, it
is often the headstone that we visit as a place to
reminisce and say words. This is the main purpose of a
headstone, a lasting mark and tribute to a person that
has passed on. Headstones are great ways to highlight
and celebrate a persons life. Many years ago they would
have been simple headstones. Nowadays, we go for more
extravagant designs, including brighter colors and more
complicated designs. We realize that a life is to be
celebrated, however sad we are that the person has
passed.
If someone is taken from us suddenly, we often feel
guilty for not getting a chance to say goodbye. In these
cases, the headstone can be a great comfort for close
friends and family, as it is somewhere for them to come
and talk to the person that has passed. It is
unsurprising that the most commonly used inscription is
"Rest In Peace".
Epitaphs also serve the purpose of comforting the family
members of the deceased. In most cases, they can be
unique sayings that are personal to the deceased. One of
the most commonly used headstone saying is "To a loving
Father/Mother/Son."
The main thing you should think about when arranging a
headstone inscription is that it will need to be short
but have a connection to the person that has died. If
they had a saying that they were known for, or a song
that they loved, then these can be used for inspiration
on what to say. If this does not work, then use
something fitting to describe them. For example, for a
religious person who was in military you could use
"Loved their family, nation, and God".
Many large lists of great sample epitaphs can be found
by searching for "epitaph examples" in most major search
engines like Google. |
