Eulogies: The Honor and the Challenge of Reciting Meaningful Words

1. Eulogies: The Honor and the Challenge of Reciting Meaningful Words Losing a family member or close friend can be devastating and can have a lasting effect on all who knew the deceased. One particularly difficult part of losing a loved one is that it usually requires one to talk about one’s feelings and express one’s condolences to a family member in words or in writing. Funeral or memorial services are the place where most of us share our pain and express love for the deceased. In many cultures a large part of these rituals is the delivery of a eulogy – a short memorial message celebrating the person’s accomplishments and important moments. If you have been asked to deliver a eulogy, appreciate the honor you have been given. You may feel that you are too sad or that you don’t have the skill to write and deliver an appropriately moving tribute. It is not unusual to feel this way. If giving the eulogy is overwhelming to you, remember that while it may seem daunting, there are ways you can manage your anxiety. In doing so, you can provide a service to both the living in their moment of loss and to the departed. Tips for Eulogizing the Deceased First, take a moment to sort out your feelings about the deceased and gather your thoughts. A eulogy is designed to memorialize and celebrate the good things in the person’s life. Additionally, pulling together a selection of memories and comments about those things can be an excellent way to begin to deal with your own grief. To help you deliver a truly meaningful eulogy, consider asking family members and friends of the deceased to share their memories, anecdotes and stories of how that person touched their lives. These recollections can help you create a more complete picture of the deceased. Next, decide how you will organize the information you have on the deceased. Eulogies can take a chronological approach, where the eulogist traces the person’s life in the order in which it happened. Or eulogies can also be given in the form of snapshots of tender times, gently humorous anecdotes, and the like in no particular order. Finally, if you find it hard to think of moving things to say, you may want to look at various sources for inspiration or short quotes to include in your speech.

2. From the Bible or other religious texts to anthologies and websites of eulogy poetry and inspirational quotes, you may find the words you seek. Just remember to keep the tone of the eulogy personal and use simple language so that the listeners can connect more directly to your words. Delivering a eulogy is an honor. It is a chance to help others begin the transition to a life after a loved one’s passing. Moreover, a little time and preparation in the writing stage can make a huge difference in the impact of your delivery and can help you and the family of the deceased. You can also help honor the dead with an engraved wind chime. A memorial wind chime is a permanent way to honor and remember the deceased and the impact they had on you while they were here on earth. For more info, Log on to https://afamilytree.com/eulogies-the-honor-and-the-challenge-of-reciting- meaningful-words/ Contact Us: A Family Tree 90 Cliff Loop Hot Springs National Park Arkansas, Weston, 71913, USA ann@afamilytree.com 248.935.5464