All that ever was exists now In the living body of the being We call Universe, Goddess. She breathes in ... We are born. She breathes out ... We die. But birth and death are on the same wheel Which is always turning, Like the tide Or the changes of the moon. We become ancestors, The unborn, The newborn, The guardians of those to come. Cherish the turning, The letting go and the bringing forth, Decay and growth, Life and death. All points on the wheel are sacred. Embrace the change. — from The Pagan Book of Living and Dying by Starhawk

The Island of the West (by Starhawk) The ship is on the shoreline, The crossing it is near, The time has come to say goodbye To all who loved you here. Give back your body to the earth Like a child to its mother's breast, And may you then grow young again, On the Island of the West. Lay down, lay down your burdens, Lay down your treasures too. The love you gave and gathered Is all you'll take with you. But know to me your memory Will evermore be blessed, And may you then grow young again, On the Island of the West. They say there is an orchard Across the farthest sea, Where fruit and bud and blossom Grow together on the tree. The hurt will there find healing, The weary there find rest, And may you then grow young again On the Island of the West.

At the rising of the sun and at its going down, We remember them. At the blowing of the wind and in the chill of Winter, We remember them. At the opening of buds and in the rebirth of Spring, We remember them. At the blueness of the skies and in the warmth of Summer, We remember them. At the rustling of leaves and the beauty of Autumn, We remember them. At the beginning of the year and when it ends, We remember them. As long as we live, they too will live; for they are now a part of us, as 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. When we have decisions that are difficult to make, We remember them When we have achievements that are based on theirs, We remember them. As long as we live, they too shall live, for they are a part of us, as we remember them.

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal. ~From a headstone in Ireland When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. ~Kahlil Gibran It's so curious: one can resist tears and 'behave' very well in the hardest hours of grief. But then someone makes you a friendly sign behind a window, or one notices that a flower that was in bud only yesterday has suddenly blossomed, or a letter slips from a drawer... and everything collapses. ~Colette While grief is fresh, every attempt to divert only irritates. You must wait till it be digested, and then amusement will dissipate the remains of it. ~Samuel Johnson We must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey. ~Kenji Miyazawa Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose. ~From the television show The Wonder Years If you're going through hell, keep going. ~Winston Churchill We acquire the strength we have overcome. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson There's a bit of magic in everything, and some loss to even things out. ~Lou Reed, "Magic and Loss" Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow. ~Dan Rather You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present. ~Jan Glidewell If you suppress grief too much, it can well redouble. ~Moliere In the night of death, hope sees a star, and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing. ~Robert Ingersoll Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it. ~Jacques Prévert The sorrow which has no vent in tears may make other organs weep. ~Henry Maudsley Every evening I turn my worries over to God. He's going to be up all night anyway. ~Mary C. Crowley She was no longer wrestling with the grief, but could sit down with it as a lasting companion and make it a sharer in her thoughts. ~George Eliot While we are mourning the loss of our friend, others are rejoicing to meet him behind the veil. ~John Taylor

Birth is a beginning and death a destination And life is a journey: From childhood to maturity and youth to age; From innocence to awareness and ignorance to knowing; From foolishness to desecration and then perhaps to wisdom. From weakness to strength or from strength to weakness and often back again; From health to sickness and we pray to health again. From offense to forgiveness from loneliness to love from joy to gratitude from pain to compassion from grief to understanding from fear to faith. From defeat to defeat to defeat until looking backwards or ahead We see that victory lies not at some high point along the way but in having made the journey step by step a sacred pilgrimage. Birth is a beginning and death a destination And life is a journey; A sacred journey to life everlasting

In memory of my dear friend Agnes Corbett – who touched the hearts of many who will continue her light in helping to save the Brazilian Rain Forest – even if it’s one tree at a time! Peace my dear friend…

When I am gone, release me, let me go. I have so many things to see and do, You mustn't tie yourself to me with too many tears, But be thankful we had so many good years. I gave you my love, and you can only guess How much you've given me in happiness. I thank you for the love that you have shown, But now it is time I traveled on alone. So grieve for me a while, if grieve you must Then let your grief be comforted by trust That it is only for a while that we must part, So treasure the memories within your heart. I won't be far away for life goes on. And if you need me, call and I will come. Though you can't see or touch me, I will be near And if you listen with your heart, you'll hear All my love around you soft and clear And then, when you come this way alone, I'll greet you with a smile and a "Welcome Home".

As an ancient legend goes; If anyone desires a wish to come true, they must capture a butterfly and whisper that wish to it. Since butterflies make no sound, They can’t tell that wish to anyone but the Great Spirit, So by making the wish and releasing the butterfly, It will be taken to the heavens and be granted. Although this legend implies that we should keep our wishes silent, there are some wishes that need to be expressed out loud. To those that have been touched by the disease we are helping to fight today, We wish the caregivers strength and tranquility, and thank them for their gifted labor of love. We wish the survivors a long and happy life, and thank them for showing us how to fight with courage and determination. We wish those currently fighting the battle energy and hope, and thank them for showing us what true bravery is all about. And finally, we wish the victims peace and love, and thank them for the joy and happiness they brought to us. With this symbolic gesture, we honor those that have left us and encourage those left behind to continue the fight “On the Wings of Hope”. ~ Legend As you release this butterfly in honor of me, know that I'm with you and will always be. Hold a hand, say a prayer, close your eyes and see me there. Although you may feel a bit torn apart, please know that I'll be forever in your heart. Now fly away butterfly as high as you can go, I'm right there with you more than you know.

A Symbol of Hope

A Symbol of Hope
A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam And for a brief moment its glory and beauty belong to our world But then it flies again And though we wish it could have stayed... We feel lucky to have seen it.

Suddenly gone, but not forgotten. Rest in Peace...