We stand here today, united in the warmth of our hearts, to put a cold body into the cold ground.

This is not an all-together bad thing. She had suffered greatly, but now she's at peace. She had hurt. Now she's free.

I would like to suggest that the loss here today is not hers, but ours. We all die. Death is as natural as birth. Her pain is over, but for us, the sting endures.

A cruel twist of fate, riding a dread disease, means we have lost a daughter, a sister, a mother, a wife, a friend. We have been robbed of her smile, of her laughter, of her gifts and good deeds.

Among us today, there are many flavors of belief. That she has found her Kingdom of Heaven. That one child has been born to carry on, carry on. That Mother Earth is accepting back what She had put forth.

This body shall soon be covered by six feet of earth, but this spirit could not be covered by a mountain. This soul lives on in each of us today, and we shall carry her with us forever. We are better people for knowing her and loving her.

Yes, we say goodbye.