For Grief, Death & Dying

 
Inspirational Quotes to help you heal, to inspire, and comfort.


"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth -- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up, we will then begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had."

~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live."

~Norman Cousins


"A useless life is an early death."

~Johann W. von Goethe


"The only cure for grief is action."

~George Henry Lewes


"Mourning is not forgetting... It is an undoing. Every minute tie has to be untied and something permanent and valuable recovered and assimilated from the dust."

~Margery Allingham


"Don't grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form."

~The Rumi


"To not think of dying, is to not think of living."

~Jann Arden


"Eternity is not something that begins after you're dead. It is going on all the time. We are in it now."

~Charlotte Perkins Gilman


"I have absolutely no fear of death. From my near-death research and my personal experiences, death is, in my judgment, simply a transition into another kind of reality."

~Raymond Moody


"Every mortal loss is an immortal gain."

~William Blake


"The happiness of the drop is to die in the river."

~Al-Ghazali

"The grave is but a covered bridge Leading from light to light, through a brief darkness!"

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


"Oh, write of me, not 'Died in bitter pains,' But 'Emigrated to another star!' "

~Helen Hunt Jackson

~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross


"For any culture which is primarily concerned with meaning, the study of death -- the only certainty that life holds for us -- must be central, for an understanding of death is the key to liberation in life."

~Stanislav Grof


"The safest course is to do nothing against one's conscience. With this secret, we can enjoy life and have no fear from death."

~Voltaire


"For a man who has done his natural duty, death is as natural as sleep."

~George Santayana


"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live you life in a manner so that when you die the world cries and you rejoice."

~Native American Proverb


"Good men must die, but death cannot kill their names."

~The Bible


"No one's death comes to pass without making some impression, and those close to the deceased inherit part of the liberated soul and become richer in their humaneness."

~Hermann Broch

Birth and death are not two different states, but they are different aspects of the same state. There is as little reason to deplore the one as there is to be pleased over the other." ~Mohandas K. Gandhi


"Death, like birth, is a secret of Nature." ~Marcus Aurelius Antoninus


"The act of dying is one of the acts of life." ~Marcus Aurelius Antoninus


"For death begins with life's first breath And life begins at touch of death." ~John Oxenham


"Seeing death as the end of life is like seeing the horizon as the end of the ocean." ~David Searls

Death is simply a shedding of the physical body like the butterfly shedding its cocoon. It is a transition to a higher state of consciousness where you continue to perceive, to understand, to laugh, and to be able to grow." ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross


"I've told my children that when I die, to release balloons in the sky to celebrate that I graduated. For me, death is a graduation."

~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross


"We sometimes congratulate ourselves at the moment of waking from a troubled dream; it may be so the moment after death."

~Nathaniel Hawthorne

 Arched Across The Sky

Rainbows created my imagination

As it arched across the sky

On one end there sat you

At the other end, there sat I

Imagining I could slide across

Over the rainbow to the end

There would be my pot of gold

The sweet love of my dear friend

The rainbow is a connection

Like a bridge from me to you

It appears joined by sunlight

Then the gray skies turn to blue

Arriving after the rainstorms

It became so evident to me

Thoughts of love follow rainbows

They arched right across the sea

A colorful arching rainbow

It has no gate, it has no door

It reaches from friend to friend

It arches from shore to shore

I smiled up today at the sky

How far would my loving smile go?

It slid right over to the other side

The other end of the colored rainbow

Their are a million words that could only scratch the surface of Randi Peck's character...loyal, compassionate, disciplined, loving, selfless, hard-working...but the words are so shallow on paper and her character was so rich. 

Her sincerity in ALL interactions was so real and this is what made her the kindest of friends.  I remember our grad school days and the way she worked so hard and studied so intensely, so I think one of my favorite memories is the night of her bachelorette party.  It's my favorite memory because I saw pure joy on Randi's face.  I don't remember the name of the place we went to, but I know that they played lots of oldies.  We got Randi on the dance floor and danced the night away.  We laughed and laughed the way girls do when they are together just loving life.  I also remember the joy it brought Nancy to see Randi having such fun.  So I cherish the fun times because I can still see her radiant smile and hear her laughter. 

As the months go by, I like to think about the new freedom and joy Randi is experiencing with our heavenly Father.  Free of the burdens of this world, I know she is dancing again with the lightest of feet and that same radiant smile...only more radiant now because she has seen and experienced the holiness of our living Father in Heaven.  So although the missing is painful, the thought of her new freedom brings me great joy because this is what she was born to experience.  Praise God for the life that He gives through His Son, Jesus Christ!

Sincerely,

Kara Lapp (college friend and fellow SLP)

 I have many special memories of Randi but I think the most memorable are the very simple times like when she would come over to my house after school before we had to be back to load the band bus to go to a football game.  It used to be pretty much a routine.  If we didn't have band practice we would bring her back to our house and then we would drop her off at her Grandma's house when her mom got off of work.  I will always remember my mom made pizza meatballs one night for dinner and Randi fell in love with them.  From that night on every time she came over she would beg my mom for those meatballs.  Even years later even after Randi had graduated from college every time she would see me or my mom she wanted pizza meatballs. 

      It is definitely the simple things that I remember most.  She was my very first friend at Trinity high school.  We were both transferring in from other schools and didn't know anybody.  We met over the summer in band camp.  I don't think I would have made it through high school and especially freshman year with out her.  Even after we graduated high school and I didn't get to talk to her as often as I would have liked she always made sure that we kept in touch.  When I moved back to Pennsylvania from Florida about 2 and a half years ago she was the first one to call me when she found out I had moved back and we talked for 2 hours.  Anyway I have many memories but it is definitely the simple times that stand out the most. 

Donna Ziegler

I didn’t have much of an opportunity to know her, but I remember her attending our small wedding ceremony on Dec 24, 1987, Christmas Eve Day, at our current home in Mechanicsburg. She was probably 11 or 12.

Our home was decorated for the holidays and she was so excited over “wrapped gifts.” I gave her a token of our wedding ceremony, along with her two cousins from Warminster, Elisabeth and Michael, a small bean reindeer. It brought a lot of joy to her, hugging her ever so small gift of love. I hold this moment of happiness in Randi’s younger years of meeting her, close to my heart. When I glance through our little wedding album at times, I reflect upon this precious memory.

Mrs. Peggy A. Peck

2615 N. Rosegarden Blvd

Mechanicsburg, PA 17005

I shared a place with Randi while we both attended Bloomsburg University.  We lived in a trailer in Buckhorn.  When we met, I knew she was one I could trust.  She was younger than me but she was mature, independent and responsible.  I remember going home to my mother’s on the weekends and sometimes telling my mother how I admired Randi for her persistence in her studies and how driven she was to accomplish the goals in her life.  No matter how tired she was, she closed her bedroom door every night and studied for hours.  She was an excellent student and worked hard.  She really did like what she was doing.  I wished that I had that kind of joy in my studies.  Because of Randi, I sought out academic counseling that year and was able to find the career I wanted to pursue.  I changed my course of studies, passed with flying colors, and landed an administrative position the day after graduation.  Being in Randi’s company helped me find my niche in life.  She was a positive influence for me.  Randi was someone I admired and always wished her the best life could offer.  Although we did not keep in touch after we parted, I sometimes thought about her and even thought of trying to contact her just to say “hello”.   

A couple of weeks ago, I was crushed to find out what happened to Randi last year.  I was in disbelief and shock for a couple of days.  My heart grieves, especially for Randi’s mother.  I remember how close Randi was to her mother.  Please accept my condolences and prayers.  Although I can’t imagine the void in the hearts of those who were close to her, I pray that that void is not filled with hate, anger, or bitterness.  I pray that God can fill that void with His peace and comfort, in Jesus’ name.

Josephine Balsamo

506 Apartment D

Indian Creek Drive

Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 

jbalsamo@paelderlaw.com

I met Randi at Bloomsburg University in Marching Band.  Then we came to discover we were in the same major – Speech Language Pathology.  I was two years ahead of her, so I gave her hints and ideas as she needed them.  I also had the chance to live with her in an on campus apartment for a semester.  She was definitely a study-a-holic and I tried to encourage her to take study breaks – but it didn’t happen very often.  Randi was very dedicated to learning and becoming a great speech language pathologist.

Randi achieved those things – she was dedicated not only to her field of work but to her friends as well and most of all, her family.  I remember Randi for her close relationship with her mother, one of her best friends.  I remember Randi for her smile – it was so freely given.  I remember Randi for her laughter – it was a cute little laugh and contagious as well.  I remember Randi for her kindness  - she was always thinking of others.  I remember Randi for her hair – this may sound weird, but she always seemed to be trying a new hairdo – and it always looked great – the last time I saw her she had beautiful big curls and had it up almost in two pigtails that seemed to bounce just as she did.  Randi and I didn’t get to spend much time together, but we always caught up with each other quickly on the phone.

It’s hard to sit and write this letter – it’s so hard to believe that she will be gone from us for a year.  I think of her often and there are times I still think in my head that “Oh,.I should share this info. With Randi” and then I remember that she is not here.  I miss Randi…I miss her love of life, her smile, her thoughtfulness, her kindness, her friendship.  Randi was a special person whose life was cut way too short, but I hope that we can all live our lives to the fullness that Randi lived hers.

Thanks for the opportunity to share thoughts and memories of Randi.

Brenda Gould

I was at Nancy’s house more than a few times when Randi came home.  It was always a whirlwind.  As soon as Randi opened the door, before she was in the house, she would start talking to her Mom about something that happened that day.  (And as she entered, the storm door would bang loudly behind her and Monique would start barking.)  So here comes Randi in the house, usually with a pocketbook on one arm, a bag full with some type of work in the other, something in her hands – starting with Hey Mom or Mom, guess what – and telling her story of the day.  It was usually a happy story – as though she couldn’t wait to get home to share the day’s events with her Mom.  When it was a “problem” day, Randi was still upbeat quickly spilling her story to her Mom and asking her Mom’s advice.  She would quickly give me a “hello” and fall into the kitchen chair, with all her stuff pouring on the table and floor looking at her Mom and smiling. 

When I worked with Nancy, I remember Randi and her Mom talking on the telephone everyday even when Nancy was on the road.  Every conversation ended with an “I love you.” 

I remember a lot of smiles and laughter when Randi and Nancy were together – even if it was while they were doing yard work.

Randi told me I was her friend as well as her Mom’s friend and use to ask me to intercede on her behalf when Nancy and she disagreed about something!!

Randi looked forward to her future with a sense of adventure and excitement.  She treasured little things like a new recipe, craft projects and a great sale.  She had an incredible spirit and found joy in making others happy, never expecting much in return.  She was kind and thoughtful, honest and caring, generous and gentle, strong but sensitive.  She was a lovely woman who worked hard and built strong relationships, looking to bring comfort to those around her.  Imagine all the wonderful acts that are left undone now that she’s gone.

Mary Joe Shaub

Randi was always trying to guess who was walking down the hall by our office by the sound of their footsteps. If she was wrong she would say "Aww Shooty!" and if she was right she would say "Hotdog!” If I ever needed a pen I would scan Randi's desk. She had more pens of every color, shape and style than anyone I know. Her desk was always in order and her calendar was kept meticulous with her typewriter-like handwriting. It took her forever to get ready to leave work. In the winter she had to wrap up from head to toe in scarf, mittens and double zip winter coat, then she had to assemble three different bags full of paperwork. We loved to go check out the gift shop and see what was new or on sale. Her patients loved her and her coworkers respected her work ethic. She was a great therapist and friend.

Heidi MacLeod

Co-Worker

Dear Randi,

We never got to say good-bye...............

So many fond memories of you come back, but we didn't know we would need them so soon.

Because you and Lara were friends and roommates in Bloomsburg for 4 years, we came to love and care about you.  We were also proud of all your accomplishments and for your successful career after you graduated from the Masters program in speech therapy.

We can recall the trips to Bloomsburg, especially on parents' week-end.  The band would perform and we even got to watch you practice.  We loved watching Lara with her flute and you as drum major.  Used to watch your Mom's face as she smiled with all that pride----we understood that.

I can remember the Christmas I looked everywhere for just the right Winnie-the-Pooh for Lara to give you or the ballet slippers I found for you to hang on your Christmas tree.

I can still see you sitting on the small love seat in the apartment all curled up watching David Letterman.

All the hard work, all the hours of study; what will endure will be the friendship and love you and Lara had.  The bond and connection we have with your Mom will always be there.

We will remember.  We will miss your presence and the "what could have been" and we will never say good-bye.............................

Just Us,
Dennis and Leslie Bowen
(Lara's parents)

Dear Randi,

Reflecting on a special memory of you, I find many memories that come rushing back like waters released from flood gates.  The smallest detail of your very being I am able to recall.  Perhaps, because you were my college roommate, I was afforded a unique opportunity to share in your accomplishments, struggles and day to day life as we both worked to achieve our goals over the years. 

Away from home you became my family.  I remember nights when we would look at pictures- -we both loved to share in the memories of what pictures would capture.   This is where I learned of how you missed your Grandfather and moments spent with your mother, whom you called your best friend.  We would listen to your favorites-- Aerosmith and Enya, eat oranges and watch David Letterman.  I can still see you eating hard pretzels with the cheese you could squeeze from a can.

You always wanted me to paint your finger nails and file them "square, not round."  You decorated your closet door with Ansel Adams photographs; you loved Whinnie the Pooh and laughed when we would watch Forrest Gump.  I miss playing the flute with you or guided by your direction as drum major.

We acted and argued like sisters.  I can still hear the noise your glasses would make when you put them on your face or the way you would say your dogs name or declare it was time for bedsies.  I can still see your stuffed donkey sitting on your bed and how you would protect it during pillow fights. You were my study partner, my classmate and most of all you were my friend. 

I admired your commitment to your education--you studied unrelentingly.  My memories of you are too many to put on paper.  Perhaps some of them are meant to remain unspoken as they were created especially for us.  Since your passing there is not a day that goes by that I do not think of you or how you came to touch my life.  I am forever changed and blessed to have been given the

opportunity to know you.  I am grateful for the memories and the pictures and our time spent together.  My friend, you are greatly missed and not forgotten. 

Perhaps the greatest gift you gave me is the memory of you.

Love,

Lara

We [my husband and I] discussed our memories of Randi and both agreed that the one thing that we remembered was that everytime we saw Randi she had a smile on her face.  You never knew if she was smiling because she was spending time with her mom, because she was happy to see you or if she was just happy....No matter what the reason for the smile it was always nice to see her.

The other thing that I remember was that as a mother of an only child (17 year old daughter) I remember that when I would see Randi and Nancy together I was so impressed at the relationship they had that I was hopeful that my daughter and I would develop the same relationship.  Randi was such a fortunate young lady to have a strong nurturing mother to guide her through her life.  Randi was such a delightful, thoughtful caring person who was hardworking and always thinking ahead.  Not only has Nancy lost a daughter and her best friend but so many other people have lost the opportunity to meet this extraordinary young lady.

The Box Family

I have been lucky enough to have known Randi and her family for close to 14 years. Randi and I met in high school. We became close friends, racked up countless phone minutes, kept in touch throughout college, vacationed together, supported each other though difficult times, and helped plan each others weddings.  We laughed, cried, and laughed some more… one thing we always did…was have fun.

Helping to plan this memorial service was hard for me. There were times I was glad I had such an influential role in the service and other times when I wished I could just be a participant and not have to deal with the emotional rollercoaster that was destined to come. Now, standing here today, I am glad I had such an important role in this service – Randi was my friend for 14 years, she always supported me, worried about me, and stood by me whatever my decisions were, whether she agreed with them or not. There are not many people I can say that about.

In helping to plan this service, there were times when I came home in the evening and read through all the RSVPs and letters and was glad I was the one receiving them, because it gave me the chance to remember Randi and realize that she not only touched my life through the years, but the lives of so many others through her own relationship with them, her relationship with her mother, and her hard work and dedication to her profession. 

I am lucky to have had the chance to have known such a beautiful woman who has brought so much happiness and inspiration to all of us and everything that she encountered.  Reading through all the letters, there was one common theme, Randi’s smile, her laugh, her love for life.  I only hope that through our memories of Randi and how she touched our lives that we realize the effect our words and our actions have on people.

I would like to leave us all today with one last thought. A line from one of the letters that I received from a dear college friend of Randi’s, struck me.

“Perhaps the greatest gift you gave me is the memory of you.”

I thank you all for your presence today, your contributions to this service, and your continued friendship to Randi’s family and her memories.

Thank You.

[Gabriella Bradley]

Who is Randi Trimble

As an only child and first grandchild, Randi was loved by all. She was surrounded and mentored by adults as an only child. As soon as she could talk she would do almost anything to maintain the attention of those that mentored her. Randi forever smile always sent the message of her happiness and love of her life. 

Randi loved Winnie the Pooh and stuff bears. As a child she tap danced, twirled the baton, was the champion tumbler in her gymnastics class, earned lots of badges as a Brownie and Girl Scout, and was a 4-Her. She played and practiced playing her flute from 4^th to 12^th grade. She loved to play board games, loved to dance, and cherished her Winnie the Pooh collection.

I especially remember how she loved musicals.  She would march around the room and sing to the ballots of the “Music Man”, danced with John Travolta in “Grease” and with Patrick Swathe in Dirty Dancing.  She would cry when she sang the words to “best friends” with Bette Midler in the movie “Beaches”.  No one would drive her attention from those movies.  This was Randi’s comfort zone.

We were a team and my plans always included my daughter.  I kept my promise to her that I would take her away from the physical, mental, and verbal abuse that she witnessed for so many years as a child. We struggled as a single parent family.  Money was scarce.  Although my parents were always there to support me, I was determined to make it right on my own.  I got a job with the state, worked a part-time job and went to school at night.

In 4^th grade she became very interested in singing and wanting to play an instrument like many of her fellow students.  I always wanted her play the piano, but she was determined to follow my footsteps and play the flute as I did many years ago in school. She practiced everyday and was determined to place well in the concert and marching bands in school.    

In ninth grade she attended Trinity High Catholic School.  It is there she transitioned into becoming a very serious student; she changed her study habits and excelled in her studies. She challenged herself in leadership roles and was involved in school plays, chorus, and the marching band.  She tried out and got the position as drum major and held that position for three years at Trinity High School.  She even went on to compete for the Harrisburg Brass and Drum Core drum major. 

As Randi matured, she realized even more so how much we supported each other.  We both looked at our education as our success.  I finished my graduate studies at Penn State in 1991 after going to school at night for 15 years. Randi’s goal was to go to college and secure a stable job I worked 2 or 3 jobs to support her education at Bloomsburg University where she studied speech therapy. Randi never neglected her responsibilities to her education.  She did not see the partying scene as something she wanted to partake in. Randi never let me down.

It was tough for both of us when Randi went to college. I worried bout Randi and she worried more about me being alone. We would talk to each other once or twice a day. That open communication line between mother and daughter helped us to support and grow together. 

Randi continued her love for music as the drum major at Bloomsburg University for three years. Music complimented her studies and increased her self esteem. Randi graduated from Trinity Catholic High School and went to Bloomsburg State University to specialize in speech pathology.  She maintained a GPA of 3.8 and received a full scholarship for graduate school at Bloomsburg University and graduated in 1999.

Randi’s love to practice speech therapy grew.  She loved performing research and getting involved in panel discussions.  She met her goal to work with children and did an internship at Hershey Medical Center.  After a few years working at the Knights of Columbus Homes and expanding her knowledge base she landed a full-time position at the Hershey Medical Center.

Randi’s work ethic was exactly what I taught her…work hard and work smart.  It was nothing for her to work 2 to 3 jobs during the summers through college.  Her goal was to maintain a financial cushion for her upcoming marriage.  She bought her first home on her own at the age of 25. Her dream of finding her knight in shining armor came true.  She married in September 2000 after a five year courtship. Unfortunately a dream came to an end when her husband planned her murder about the same time they were trying to start a family.