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Presenting a eulogy for a loved one could be the saddest thing and the most
difficult public speaking endeavor you could ever experience. You are not only
talking about the death of a loved one but also about how that person lived
their lives. By celebrating the person’s life, you are exposing your soul and
your emotions to family members and strangers alike. Preparing a eulogy for a
loved one could be a daunting task. You are grieving and emotionally drained
that you may have a difficult time preparing for this last homage.
To help you out, here are a few tips on how to prepare and present your eulogy:
1. Before writing your speech, think about what you want to say. Collect
biographical facts and research about the person’s life that could not be known
to others. Think of the stories you remember and talk to other family members
who can share some of their experiences. Pay tribute to all of their
achievements. You may also share memories that you share with them and is
important to you, too. Talk about their legacy, what they have left after them –
family, changed lives, triumph.
2. Don’t make a very lengthy speech; this could sometimes be too much to the
people in the service. This may also make you forget some of the keynotes you
need to share. Create a short speech that touches on things you have to say in
less than 5 minutes.
3. It is so easy to focus on the death, especially the dying process, when you
go through the bereavement. Instead, why not focus on the person’s life, on the
better times and happy memoirs. Everybody in the service is grieving the death
of the person, share with them a few happy memories that helps you get over your
grieving.
4. Write down all the memories you want to share. It will help you remember all
the things you need to say. Most of us are not public speakers, and we need to
have our notes to be able to deliver a eulogy that people will remember even
after the service.
5. Practice your delivery at least four or five times. You can face yourself in
a mirror, or a family member. This will give you a chance to make changes to
your speech and get somebody’s comment on how to deliver the eulogy better.
Rehearsing what you have to say may also ease the discomfort of presenting a
eulogy about somebody you have just recently lost.
6. You may need to ask somebody to make the speech in case you got overwhelmed
by your emotions. This could be a friend, a family member, or the priest. Try to
make another copy of your speech, so that they can take over what you want to
say when you are no longer able to do so.
Lastly, don’t worry about exposing your emotions. Grieve if you must, cry if you
have to. This is a funeral. Everybody will be in tears and they won’t worry if
you are too.
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