When I must leave you
For a little while,
Please do not grieve
And shed wild tears
And hug your sorrow to you
Through the years,
But start out bravely
With a smile.

And for my sake
And in my name,
Live on and do
All the things the same.

Feed not your loneliness
On empty days,
But fill each waking hour
In useful ways.

Reach out your hand in comfort
And in cheer,
And I, in turn, will comfort you
And hold you near.
And never, never
Be afraid to die,
For I am waiting for you
In the sky.

Helen Steiner Rice

When I'm tired, sad, or lonely,
When few others seem to care.
There's a place I go to get away,
For there are no troubles there.

I can laugh or cry or fall asleep,
or all my problems bare.
It's the one place, where I can just be me,
For there are no troubles there.

I love that place, it's peaceful warmth,
A place with many charms.
My favorite place...in all the world,
Is in my Father's arms.

James D. Wininger