Ethne's Headstone

Ethne's headstone was placed at her grave about a week before Memorial Day 2012.  Since then we have posted many pictures of it, but have never really talked about it or the images we chose to have engraved on it.

We have seen a lot of different headstones with a lot of different styles, stones, engravings, and images.  We wanted it to be special and to memorialize our Princess, but also classic.  We decided on grey granite because it's easy to keep clean and less likely to crack or break.  We also didn't want something high profile so we went with a flat stone with a slight angle to it.  We wanted anyone who saw it to be able to get a glimpse into the personality of Ethne.  Obviously we had her name, birth date, and death date engraved on the head stone.  We wanted there to be a vase or other receptacle for us to put flowers or other decorations in, so there is a hole for that at the top of her headstone.  We chose to have an elephant for obvious reasons-- Ethne and her "ephant" were inseparable-- but also because elephants never forget, and we will never forget.  The minion was also twofold in that it comes from one of her favorite movies and that it represents her personality so very well, she was so loving and willing to help, but also playful and mischievous.  There's a tiara, because she is and always will be our princess.  Last but not least is the inscription "Daughter of a King."  This inscription also has two meanings for us.  The first is superficial and plays into Lawrence's nickname for her-- Princess.  The second is more meaningful and comes from a beautifully written and illustrated children's book by the same title.

To summarize the story:  There is a farmer's daughter whose clothes are old and patched, she plays with the other town children and some of the richer children tease her, but she doesn't let this get to her because her parents have taught her that she is a daughter of the King and that he loves her, no matter what.  As she grows she has other experiences that teach her about being a daughter of the King and of how she can go to the castle to live with him some day.  She eventually marries a young man who has also been taught that he is a son of the King and they work together to be able to live in the King's castle one day.  They have children of their own and raise them in the knowledge that they are also children of the King.  Finally they grow old and take their journey to the castle.  The journey is hard, but they have each other for help and support.  Along the way they meet others on their way to the castle and they help these others along their journeys.  Eventually they make it to the castle and the King greets them, by name, with open arms and welcomes them home.

It is such a beautiful and profound story that teaches of each person's worth and of our mission here on earth in such a way that even children can understand.  It was one of Ethne's favorite bedtime stories and made even Lawrence tear up when he read it to her.  In so many ways this story and inscription remind us of our Princess.  She was so kind and loving to everyone and she knew that she was a princess.  It also reminds us that, not only will our father, the King, welcome us with open arms when our journey is through, but also that Ethne will be there, a crooked grin on her face, and her arms wide open and ready to give us great big hugs.

We hope that all those who see her headstone get at least a small clue of who she was is.