Losing a loved one is among life's most difficult experiences and preserving the person's memory is an endeavor that is usually undertaken with great care. One of the most common ways to do this is through a memorial headstone bearing an epitaph that truly reflects the person's life, personality or legacy. Here are the top ten ways to create a memorable headstone epitaph:
1. Comforting Words
One of the main purposes of an epitaph is to console the people whom the deceased left behind. This could be a short saying such as "Forever in our hearts" or a more elaborate passage that focus on the fact that love transcends loss.
2. Religious Verses
Religious books can be good sources of epitaph ideas. For example, people often quote verses from Psalm 23 in the Bible or the famous saying from the Bhagavad Gita: "No one who does good work will ever come to a bad end, either here or in the world to come."
3. Literary Quotes
Classic works of literature contain truisms that have fully capture what it means to have lived and loved. The poetry and prose of Milton, Dante, Shelley and the large body of classic writers offers a variety of ideas for memorable headstone inscriptions.
4. Descriptive Imagery
An epitaph may be addressed to other people or directly the loved one, and this may be specific to a role that the person played during his or her life. The stone inscription could describe the loved one as a child, mother, father, spouse or sibling.
5. Famous People
Quotes or even epitaphs of famous historical, political or cultural figures can offer inspirational words that make good epitaph inscription.
6. Funny Inscriptions
Humour is a powerful way to comfort people, and funny sayings can serve as uplifting inscriptions. However, this should always be done tastefully, keeping in mind the purpose of the epitaph.
7. Personalized Poetry
Poetry is a great way to say a lot with few words. A commemorative poem can be just a few lines or can be longer depending on how much space is available on the headstone.
8. General Sayings
There are general sayings that have been used on gravestone inscriptions for centuries, simply because they still ring true. This could be as simple as: "No pain, no grief, no anxious fear can reach our loved one sleeping here."
9. Song Lyrics
Music is a universal language that speaks deeply to people of different places, circumstances and even across generations. Frank Sinatra's "The best is yet to come" is one example of how songs can inspire great epitaphs.
10. Words of the Loved One
One way to create a unique epitaph is to use a phrase or sentence that the loved one wrote or said. This may have been composed by the person during his or her life, or could be a saying that the person lived by.
As can be seen from these ideas, there are so many ways a headstone can be used to immortalise a person through words. The epitaph can be carved in stone using hand tools, which is the traditional method that has been used for centuries. This takes a great deal of skill and attention to detail, and it produces beautiful timeless results. Modern technologies have also made it possible for professional services like DM Gibson to use lasering to create the headstone inscription. This makes it easy to include specific details like a photograph of the loved one. Regardless of the method chosen, a memorable epitaph is a lasting way to show the timeless bond that love creates in people's lives.