For my Mom
May 20, 1936 - March 12, 2007
I give thanks for the blessing of life, of companionship, and of memory.
Though our loved one is beyond our sight, we do not despair,
for we sense our beloved in our hearts as a living presence.
I light this Yahrzeit candle in loving memory of Claire who has gone to her eternal resting place.
May her soul be given life everlasting
and may her memory always remain a comfort and source of inspiration.
May this candle also serve as a reminder that her soul will never be extinguished in my heart.
The light of life is a finite flame.
Like the Sabbath candles, life is kindled.
It burns, it glows, it radiates warmth and beauty,
but then it fades and is no more.
Yet we must not despair.
We are more than a memory vanishing in the darkness.
With our lives we give life.
Something of us can never die;
we move in the eternal cycle of darkness and death, of light and life.
The memorial light we now kindle is a sign of this truth.
As it burns pure and bright, so may the memory of
our dearly beloved brighten and purify our lives.
Amen