If you have ever been to funeral homes Waite Hill, OH, you’d already know what a eulogy is. It is a speech that celebrates the life of a departed loved one. Giving tribute to the deceased has been a longstanding tradition in the funeral service – and often the central event.
Giving a eulogy is an honor and if you are chosen to pay tribute to the lost loved one, then it needs to be done well. Just follow the below tips to make sure the eulogy is moving, appropriate, and thoughtful.
1. Be Authentic
Try to be as close to the truth as possible. Don’t make it sound like the deceased was the most perfect person ever lived. A good eulogy can admit the person’s faults but will typically emphasize their strengths. Focus on the loved one’s major accomplishments, hobbies, passions, religion, volunteer work, and a brief intro of their spouse and children (if any), hobbies, passions, religion, and volunteer work.
2. Keep It Brief Yet Informative
A long eulogy makes the audience bored. Make sure your eulogy is brief, and poignant, and summarize the individual’s life without going into every detail. It should be approximately 1000 words and take around 6-8 minutes to deliver.
3. Think of a Theme
A professional eulogy revolves around a central theme. It can be anything like a central story, phrase, or quote as a motif. Or maybe you want to highlight a story or phrase that captures several aspects of their life and personality.
4. Think of Their Best Stories but Don’t Go Into Details
The bulk of the eulogy should be centered around narrating the major attributes and important stories of the loved one’s life. You may start with a favorite memory of the story of the deceased you were part of and connect it to one of the person’s defining characteristics.
Alternatively, you can choose to highlight the defining traits of their personality and link them with quotes or memories of the beloved soul. This part can give you at least half of your material.
But be sure to avoid unnecessary details. Keep it to 1-2 short stories. While the eulogy should focus on their personality and how they affected the lives of others but don’t forget to summarize the person’s family, accomplishments, and legacy. However, it doesn’t sound like the entire eulogy is about a list of people, places, and events.
5. Closing the Eulogy
It is good to close with a story, quote, or illustration. Your closing remarks can be between ten seconds to a minute. Add a couple of brief sentences to wrap things up. Consider saying “goodbye” to your loved ones and also say “Thank you” to all the guests for attending the event.
6. Write It Down
Yes, you can be a great speaker and we don’t doubt your memorizing and oration skills. But try to write everything you want to say. If you’re an experienced public speaker, notes or a bare outline can do the purpose. For someone not-so-experienced, write out each word you want to say. You can find more help at funeral homes Waite Hill, OH. Contact us today.