Are you having a hard time putting the way that you feel about someone into words while writing their eulogy?
This is a problem that many people face when they're asked to speak about a loved one during their funeral or memorial service. It can be tough trying to find the right things to say about a person to sum up their entire life.
You can do it, though, if you follow a few simple steps. It'll give you the opportunity to say everything you want to say in your eulogy without sounding too scatter-brained and all over the place.
Here are 5 tips for writing a heartfelt eulogy for a fallen family member or friend.
1. Plan to Keep Your Eulogy Brief
When you sit down to write a eulogy, it's easy to get caught up in the moment and write something that runs on for 20 or even 30 minutes. Do not do this.
You want to say more than just a few words about your loved one. At the same time, you don't want to deliver a eulogy that runs on too long and loses people's interest.
Your best bet is to keep it to somewhere in the 5 to 10 minute range. That should give you more than enough time to say what you have to say without running over your allotted time.
2. Consider Starting With a Short Story
Is there a funny story about your loved one that you love to tell? Or do you have a story about something special your loved one did that really left a mark on you?
Use the story to your advantage! Starting a eulogy off with a short story is a great way to capture everyone's attention while painting a picture of what kind of person your loved one was.
3. Continue Telling Stories About Your Loved One
When delivering a eulogy, you shouldn't just rattle off a bunch of adjectives that describe your loved one. That won't seem very personal on your part.
Instead, find a way to weave other stories about them into your eulogy so that people can see what made your loved one unique for themselves.
4. Stay Positive at All Times
Everyone has low points in their life. Your loved one was no exception.
It's not a terrible idea to point out those low points if you're trying to illustrate how your loved one fought back against adversity and made something of themselves.
But generally speaking, you should keep any negativity that may have surrounded a person out of their eulogy. It could give people the wrong impression of them during their funeral or memorial service.
5. Have a Copy of Your Eulogy Handy
Prior to delivering your eulogy, you should practice, practice, and then practice some more. By the time you go to give it, you should pretty much have it committed to memory.
But even if you do memorize it, it's still good to bring a copy of it along.
About 70 percent of people suffer from some form of anxiety when speaking in public. If you fall into this category, it could cause you to forget parts of your speech.
When you have a copy of it right in front of you, it'll keep you on track and allow you to deliver the best eulogy possible.
Need Help Putting Together the Perfect Eulogy?
These tips should help you deliver a great eulogy for your loved one.
But if you still need help, turn to a funeral home you can trust for assistance. We can give you additional tips on writing a eulogy. We can also let you know more about what to do when a death occurs in your family.
Give us a call today to see how helpful our funeral services can be.