Michael Coppola – How to Write A Eulogy
If you are charged with writing a eulogy for someone then this is likely to be something that you are in perpetual consternation about. The truth is that writing a eulogy is something that is incredibly delicate, and it is absolutely essential that you take a lot of time on this. This was something which I had to do a couple of years ago and I was thankful to have my good friend Michael Coppola on hand to give me some tips and hints on how it should be done. In the end the eulogy was fine and it was well-received by those in the funeral home. Given this experience I wanted to share some tips with you guys, to help you to write the eulogy which is inside you.
Coming From The Heart
The best bit of advice which I got here was to avoid the cliches and the common sayings which people offer when someone has passed away. These serve very little purpose in general and they are not what the eulogy should be about. The reality is that a eulogy is about discussing your personal relationship with the deceased, discussing what they meant to you and sharing some anecdotes about your time with them. It is tempting to just start writing down all of those common sayings, but the reality is that you need to be honest and keep it personal when you are writing your eulogy.
Short and To The Point
The funeral is hard enough on the guests, the last thing that they need is a lengthy eulogy to sit through. the idea is to keep it poignant and to keep it relatively short. this is not to say that you will just get up, say a few words, and then get back down, it is about ensuring that each word you say is worthwhile. Lengthy stories can be shared amongst the guests once the funeral is over, for now however it is about sharing nuggets of information, which help people to remember just how good the person who has deceased really was.
Remember You Will be Reading
To read a eulogy is a very difficult thing and it is something which is also very brave indeed. This is something which you should bear in mind when it comes to writing the eulogy, that you will also have to read it. With this in mind, it may be a good idea to leave out certain things which may upset you, perhaps certain memories which really hit you hard. There is nothing wrong with avoiding these things, funerals are after all highly charged occasions. You will not know how you will feel on the day of the funeral, and that is why it makes sense to keep the highly sensitive stuff out of your eulogy, so that you can focus on getting through it without wobbling or getting too emotional.
This is a delicate project, bear these tips in mind when you get started writing out the eulogy.
Boris Dzhingarov graduated UNWE with a major in marketing. He is the founder of ESBO ltd a brand mentioning company. He is also passionate about meditation and healthy living. You can find articles on such topics at his spiritual blog Dzhingarov.com.