Today I’ve been trying to figure out an appropriate inscription my character, 10 year old Eve Akboh, could have on her late father’s headstone. The Akbohs are church-going Christians so it had to be something religious and appropriate. Here’s where, once again, the internet comes into its own. One website, www.headstonesandmemorials.com provided a comprehensive list of 113 quotations and sayings. Number 1 was: ‘Absent from the body, present with the Lord.’ This was followed by: ‘I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.’ Others were simpler. ‘In God’s care.’ ‘Love is eternal.’ The list also included Jewish epitaphs such as: ‘Sweet in her ways, observant in her mitzvahs.’ but none from other religions.
Another website threw up more sentimental choices. ‘Those we love don’t go away. They walk beside us everyday.’ And: ‘May the journey of your next adventure be as joy-filled as your time with us. See you soon.’
Then, of course, there are the humorous. Eve’s dad’s wouldn’t be funny but writers revel in displacement activities so here are a few real epitaphs I found from www.blakjak.demon.co.uk
On a grave in Nova Scotia:
Here lies
Ezekial Aikle
Age 102
The good
die young
In Ribbesford, England:
The children of Israel wanted bread
And the Lord sent them manna
Old clerk Wallace wanted a wfie
And the Devil sent him Anna
Actually, whether serious or otherwise, inscriptions on graves are costly. I remember when I had my grandma’s done three years ago, it cost about £2.50 per letter, more if you wanted it chiselled out and gilded (painted gold) inside. That’s why my grandma’s reads RIP Nan. (Joke – sorry Grandma – you know what I’m like!) Seriously though, it does mean that in death as in life, money plays a significant factor on the type of headstone and inscription people have.
Anyway, I’ve chosen the words for Jacob Akboh’s grave so I’d better get back to my writing. Obviously you’ll have to wait until the book comes out to see what I selected…