Writing a eulogy is one of the recognized practices of paying tribute to loved ones who have passed away. These are meant to be read by selected close family members at a funeral. Care should be exercised when you write a eulogy regarding the choice of words to be included because you want to preserve special memories as well as celebrating the life of the deceased.

If asked to write a eulogy for a deceased family member, perhaps because of your close relationship with the person, there are some important steps and points to consider. The eulogy is supposed to be a collection of the stories you can tell of the life lived by the deceased. The first step would be to note everything memorable of the deceased with special consideration of the highlights of his or her life. Remember anything you want to say of the person and reflect on your relationship with the person. Include only what you feel might mean something generally regarding your relationship. A brief personal and poignant word or two would be well received, but a long recollection that is very personal may not be right in this forum. These are the stories you will tell from your heart as the deceased would have liked them told and as an observation to the people attending the funeral. Be mindful to give them all a positive interpretation because it is important to remember that you are writing a eulogy for others, more than yourself.

Secondly, you have to consider reflecting on your gathered stories to base them on some theme that is relevant to the life being celebrated. Remember not all the stories noted previously will finally feature in the written eulogy. You will have to sort them out to choose the most important stories, understanding that the minutes given to the eulogy are now in your hands and you can write a eulogy that has a theme and an emotional viewpoint. It can be happy, celebratory, joyful, reminiscent or moving. It’s your choice.

The third step will involve the selection and addition of any relevant verses and poems that will help other people to understand and appreciate your stories of the deceased. Insert them preferably at the beginning, in between the separate stories and towards the end so as to be more effective in delivering the meaning or theme desired. The poems are written towards the end in most cases.

The fourth step of writing a eulogy will basically involve choosing the order of the chosen content, as it should finally appear. If still very long, consider editing some details, in particular from the stories of the eulogy. At the same time, make sure that the most important ones have been given the appropriate amount of attention. Consider the order carefully when you write a eulogy because this is another way to manage the mood.

Finally, go through your written eulogy and do enough practice to see if the desired timing is attainable. Followed appropriately, these steps should be helpful if you ever need to write a eulogy that is a fitting tribute and memories of the deceased told from our hearts.

Author Bio: John Sammers is a certified life coach and founder Silagra of Fulfil.ltd.uk. His main area of training is in powerful and effective communication and achieving personal as well as business success through understanding the language of the unconscious mind. More on Eulogies at Funeral-Words.com

Category: Writing
Keywords: eulogy,funeral words,deceased,how to write eulogy,tribute,memories,funeral