Writing A Eulogy
Writing a Eulogy can be a daunting task. What do I say? How do I say it, Will I get it right?
There are basically two things that you will want to do in the Eulogy - provide some indication as to the the "what" of the person’s life - the broad brush strokes and the "who" they were, the qualities that made them unique to you and what you will remember them for.
This is writing from the heart. Rather than present a chronology of events consider the stories that illustrate who they were and sum up those qualities. Also doesn't have to be long. A lot of truely wonderful and meaningful things can be said in 5 minutes.
Remember people will not recall in detail what you say. What they will recall are the feelings and memories you convey.
There are a number of really helpful resources on the internet to assist with writing a Eulogy.
The following are some things that I do when I am required to write the Eulogy. If it is your task to write a Eulogy then the following is useful to consider and best done with another family member. Sometimes two minds remember better than one.
Collect some important dates - birth, death, marriages, when children were born
Write down some important places- where born, grew up, moved to, travelled to, schools they went to
Write down places where they worked, groups they belonged to
Collect the names - parents, siblings, spouse, children, grand-children, great-grandchildren, really good friends
Look at some photos - these will stir up a lot of memories - start writing down in some point form some of the stories
Think of some words that describe them for you. What is it about them that you will always remember and never want to forget.
Start with a simple statement. “My dad was the best dad”. “Gina was a remarkable woman who…..and…"
Finish with what you would like to say to this person as if they were here with you.
