Thank you for the gift of friends,
those who are near,
and those who are far;
those still with us,
and those who await us
in the life to come.
Kind words remind us
that there is no distance,
neither time, nor space,
neither this life, nor the next,
that cannot be crossed.
For nothing can separate us
from the love of God,
and by that same love,
we are connected to each other.
Amen