It is difficult and painful to lose a dear friend, family member or a loved one. However, we all know that someone has to give a speech during the funeral service and if you’re close to the departed, that someone is more likely to be you.
Giving a speech or eulogy isn’t as simple as merely talking in front of people, babbling away whatever comes in your mind. It has to be meaningful. It has to be extra special. This may be the first and last time a group of people close to the departed will be together to be reminded about the good memories that are left.
However the pain of losing someone may cloud your ability to make a memorable speech. Here are some tips that you could follow to prepare for an effective delivery of a eulogy:
1. Remember that there is no one style of writing a eulogy. The first step is to fit your style of writing to the person who died. Was he humorous? Was he the more serious type? Was she a loving and gentle person? These things should be put in mind in writing a eulogy.
2. You may talk about the departed’s life and accomplishments. You may mention affairs and knowledge the departed may have had or something that he/she has done or said that would surely remind the people listening to your eulogy about the departed – and hopefully with fondness. In using this style, you may start from the farthest memory to the most recent similar to telling a history.
3. To be less factual and more emotional, you may also write and talk about fond times you had with the departed. Be careful with this style though as it has a very strong tendency to choke you up and have the pain of losing someone surface. Since it is based on your personal experience with the departed, this is very easy to write but difficult to deliver.
4. You may also prepare a eulogy similar to a tribute. A style like this aims on writing about the goals that were reached and other accomplishments of the dead.
5. You may also write and talk about accomplishments or other undertakings the dead is leaving behind. Examples of this legacy are: his family, profession or successful projects.
6. Utilizing important circumstances or stages of the departed’s life. This may be an easier approach in writing eulogies because you can choose three points and expound on those points.
7. Differing approach may also be used in delivering a eulogy. These may be churchy, musical, funny or in the form of toasts. The churchy theme for a eulogy is usually done in a religious setting. Remember the musical Rent? That could be an example of a musical theme for a eulogy although you don’t necessarily have to be breaking out in a song and produce a full song number. You could play a song that would be relevant to the departed and the bereaved. Funny or humorous eulogies should be written and especially delivered with more sensitivity being careful of your audience.
Whatever approach you’d adapt in preparing for a eulogy what’s most important is that the departed will be remembered in the fondest way.
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