The life of the dead is placed in the memory
of the living. - Cicero
Though the times surrounding the death of a love one are tough, they are also cause for celebration. They are a time to express what that person has done to help the world, your family and friends, and how they became a better person in today's ever changing world. Preparing and giving a eulogy can be a difficult process so please consider these tips when going through it.
Plan for a five minute presentation. To speak about a loved one you really cared for is a very emotional process. A five minute speech is a good amount of time to convey your feelings about your loved one to those at the memorial. If you prefer to draft out the entire speech beforehand, it would be about 500 words.
Consider the structure of the speech. Several speech structures you can consider are:
Speak like you were speaking to friends. When drafting your eulogy, think of speaking as you would be speaking to friends and family. A eulogy is not a paper for school. The goal is just to convey the message to others as you normally would in a relaxed setting.
Eulogy presentation advice. It is a very stressful experience for many of us to give a eulogy considering the fact that we are not well-trained speakers and are given the task of speaking in front of a large group of people. With that in mind, here are a couple tips to consider:
In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. – Abraham Lincoln