What To Write In a Eulogy

What To Write In a Eulogy

When a loved one passes away, this can be an extremely difficult time for each person involved. They say that the funeral of a loved one, whether they are to be buried or cremated, is one of the most important elements of the service as it helps the family and friends of the loved one lost to better cope and process their grief. 

Writing a eulogy is important and can also help the grieving process as it allows the writer or family as a whole to share and honor the memory of a lost loved one. It can be difficult to cover because there are often so many things we want to share and either are at a loss of words for, or may just be in shock and only have a limited amount of time to speak.

It’s important to remember that when writing a eulogy, less is truly more and speaking genuinely from the heart is something everyone attending the service of your loved one will appreciate.

To keep it short and concise, when writing a eulogy, you can cover basic topics about the individual such as their:

• History: This is where you can cover where they were born, their childhood life and other topics that give insight into who they were as a person, and how you came to know and love them.
• Career: Talk about their profession and how they got there or perhaps what professions they were passionate about or always dreamed of doing.
• Achievements: This covers awards, or professional achievements they fulfilled throughout their life and remember, it doesn’t have to be a certification to have importance. You can share about their achievements within their personal life as well as how they affected yours.
• Stories: Use specific examples of the times you are talking about. Detailed stories tend to bring smiles to people’s faces and add an element of personality and love.
• Memories: Talk about any fond memories you have with this person, a time that you will never forget, words of advice they told you, or an impact they had on your life. Many people attending may be able to relate to what you are sharing and it might lighten up the room with feelings of joy instead of sorrow.
• Anecdotes: Tell a short amusing story of an incident that happened. Stories like this can add a natural sense of humor that is respectful to the deceased yet light on the audience

Although writing a eulogy can be difficult and emotional for the writer and those at the service who are listening to it, remember if you always speak from your heart it’s nearly impossible to say the wrong thing. You should take into consideration the audience that is listening to you and remember how sensitive and emotional this time is. If you have any other questions on the importance of writing a eulogy or what to include, you can speak to our experts here at Monuments of Victoria.