When I Die
This poem will not make you weep when I die, but a poem to make you celebrate that I lived.
Some will weep and mourn when I’m gone.
But don't be sad when I die.
Instead, share tears of joy that I lived.
Let not my passing be the storm. Let it be the rainbow.
I'm living to leave a ripple. The waves will speak when it's time.
Grieve if you must—but know that some will smile.
Not because I'm gone, but for what I left behind.
When I'm gone, hear my voice in every sermon I preached, my word in everything I wrote, and in every life I changed.
When I die, don’t feel sorry that I'm gone. Rejoice that I lived.
Grieve if you must. But let laughter rise with the wind.
When I am dead and gone, my legacy will live on
In every student I taught, in every sermon I preached, and in every word I wrote.
I’ve made peace with my dying when it's time to go.
I hope you will make peace with my memory.
Commentary
This poem was born from years of ministry and eulogies for others. It’s my way of saying goodbye, without fear and without apology, but with my way of comforting others after I am gone.
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About the Creator
Margaret Minnicks
Margaret Minnicks has a bachelor's degree in English. She is an ordained minister with two master's degrees in theology and Christian education. Thanks for reading and sending TIPS her way.
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