It's one of the hardest things to have to bury your child. It feels like it goes against the natural order of things. It can be hard to find items that suit a young life being cut short and help you to truly remember the spirit of the child you are burying. This site has a collection of ideas and thoughts that can be used when coming up with memorial services that celebrate the short life and personality of your child. It can be a useful resource for family, communities or schools plan sympathetic funeral services for children and their loved one.
When a loved one dies, you might be asked to write them a eulogy. A eulogy is a short speech, often given during the funeral service, that speaks of the deceased, shares personal memories and helps others embrace the giving process. Here are some tips for writing a touching a memorable eulogy.
Make the Eulogy Personal
A common mistake people make when writing eulogies is trying to be too formal or make it sound like an obituary. The eulogy is meant to be personal, offering up stories or memories you have of the deceased. Don't worry so much about other people at the funeral, but speak from the heart. Think of some positive memories you have of the individual and share those briefly. Also think of some of the qualities and favorite things of the deceased and mention them fondly, such as their love for the beach or for knitting.
Keep it Brief
As you write the eulogy, keep saying the speech out loud and timing it so that it doesn't go too long. A good eulogy lasts only a few minutes. If it lasts longer than that, it affects how long other people can speak during a funeral service and also loses some attention of the people attending the funeral. If you only have a little bit to say, don't stress. Shorter is typically better. You are not sharing every single memory you ever had of the deceased, but a few ones that remind you of the good times you had with them that others might think of fondly as well.
Pick a Theme
If you have too much to say and can't decide what your eulogy should be about, choose a theme based on the individual's qualities or passions. If you are the deceased's child, you might think of something the two of you shared together when going with a theme, such as going to baseball games. If this is something you cherished and always did together, the entire eulogy can express the deceased's love for baseball, how it shaped and changed their life, and how it impacted yours. There is nothing wrong with choosing a single theme and letting it help organize the eulogy.
Write it as a Conversation
It can help to write the eulogy as if you were having a conversation with a friend or loved one. This helps you get the casual tone you are looking for. It avoids having a eulogy that is too dry or seems cold because it lacks genuine emotion. Pretend a loved one is sitting in front of you and you are explaining what your loved one was like. You may be surprised by the amount of emotion that gets put into the eulogy when using this method.
Share28 January 2016
