The grounds of Stepping Stone Hospice and Care Services were filled with love, tears, and tender memories as families and friends gathered to honour those who are no longer with us but will never be forgotten.

The annual remembrance event drew a moving crowd, united in shared grief and gratitude, as attendees reflected on lives lost and the enduring presence of loved ones who now live on only in memory.

Organisers at Stepping Stone Hospice extended heartfelt thanks to all who attended: “We are truly thankful to every person who came through. Though our loved ones may be gone from our sight, they remain forever in our hearts. To every family member, friend, and caregiver who joined us: thank you for allowing us to be part of your journey.”

The event offered a space for quiet reflection and communal healing. Guests were reminded of the words of Martha Whitmore Hickman:

“After all our attempts to comfort ourselves and to make sense of dying, we are left with a huge hole in the fabric of our lives – ‘I miss you. I miss you. I miss you.’ And then what? The absence begins to feel familiar, the edges of the psychic hole grow less sharp, maybe begin to grow together, so we can walk along without being in perpetual danger of falling into the astonishing abyss of the person’s death.”

Organisers also shared: “Someone once said that a child who dies is with you in a way a living child cannot be. In some ways, that’s true. And yes, it is a comfort. This applies not only to children, but also to parents and other loved ones who have died and who become part of the community we carry with us wherever we are.”

Many attendees described their departed loved ones as guardian angels, offering quiet reassurance through life’s ups and downs. At the same time, the event acknowledged the pain of letting go – a deeply human reality for those left behind.

It was a powerful reminder of the vital work Stepping Stone Hospice continues to do, not only in caring for the terminally ill but in supporting the grieving long after the final goodbye. In moments of silence, in shared embraces and in the soft glow of remembrance, the message was clear: they may be gone, but they are never truly absent.