Inspirational grief quotes

While  on holiday in Australia, I visited the grave of a relative I knew well from my childhood and had been particularly fond of. It made me think of my growing list of favorite grief quotes that I would like to share with you, beginning with the lovely poem used at the Queen Mother's funeral.

REMEMBER ME

 

Do not shed tears when I have gone but smile instead because I have lived. Do not shut your eyes and pray to God that I’ll come back but open your eyes and see all that I have left behind. I know your heart will be empty because you cannot see me but still I want you to be full of the love we shared.   You can turn your back on tomorrow and live only for yesterday or you can be happy for tomorrow because of what happened between us yesterday. You can remember me and grieve that I have gone or you can cherish my memory and let it live on.  You can cry and lose yourself become distraught and turn your back on the world or you can do what I want - smile, wipe away the tears, learn to love again and go on. *I can't go on. I must go on. I'll go on. *Line taken from Samuel Beckett's novel 'The Unnameable.' David Harkins

'Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal'.  ~From a headstone in Ireland

'People never die if they live on the lips of the living' (source unknown)

'There are things that we don't want to happen but have to accept, things we don't want to know but have to learn, and people we can't live without but have to let go'.  ~Author Unknown

'Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it'.  ~Jacques Prévert

Have you got a favorite inspirational grief quote to share?