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Basics You Should Know When Drafting A Memorial Epitaph
There are a great number of details that must be attended to when setting up funeral arrangements. Unless someone plans ahead, these responsibilities are usually left to a trusted individual, or to multiple members of the deceased's family. Composing a fitting epitaph is just one of the many tasks that will need to be handled.
This is a brief statement or phrase, sometimes a poem or prose, that is inscribed on an individual's headstone or commemorative plaque. It says something about the person it represents. There are several different forms this tribute can take, mostly dependent on the deceased's personality, life choices and who is writing it.
Nearly every grave marker starts out with the same basic identifying information. They state with the deceased's name and the date of their birth followed by when they passed away. Some people choose to stop there, but many opt to include additional statements, sentiments or facts that either describe the individual, or speak to their life or personality.
These additional statements are quite often short sentiments about how much the individual will be missed, how special they were or wishes for a peaceful afterlife. They might list their familial positions such as child, sibling, parent or spouse, or it may be a record of their time in the military or other organization. Spiritual scripture is also very commonly used.
Some individuals choose to write their own inscription prior to their death. This allows them to ensure that they get exactly what they want on their stone and gives them the freedom to be creative. Those with a keen sense of humor often take this opportunity to make a witty final remark or write an entertaining remark that will bring smiles to visitors for years to come.
Others may take this opportunity to provide a last bit of sage advice to all who visit their stone. This may be a suggestion to live life fully or any other lesson they might have learned while alive. There are no real rules when it comes to what one can have inscribed on their grave marker.
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