Grieving a loved one is a difficult process. Trying to write a great eulogy in the middle of grieving can seem like a challenge. How can you summarize a loved one’s entire life with a 10-minute speech? While it is an honor to give a eulogy, it can be challenging to fit everything you want to say into one short speech. A good eulogy highlights things that made your loved one unique, a sampling of the best they had to offer.
What is a Eulogy?
A eulogy is a speech paying tribute to a loved one. This speech is given at the funeral or memorial service, usually by a family member or close friend. Good eulogies highlight a loved one’s life and lasting impacts. You can share things that made your loved one unique, honoring their life and how much they meant to you.
Things to Include in Your Eulogy
Looking through photos, videos, letters, emails and personal documents is a great way to get details on the life of the person you loved. Talk to family and friends to share stories and anecdotes about the person. A good way to keep things organized is to create a timeline of the major events of the subject’s life.
Part 1: Introduction: This section covers basic information about your loved one before you move on to the main part of the eulogy.
Include:
- Start with a quote, poem, or song lyrics that were meaningful to them
- Names your loved one was known by, including nicknames or maiden names
- Short insight into your relationship with the subject
Part 2: Main Section: With the introduction out of the way, you can really get into details about the loved one’s life. This is the lengthiest part of the eulogy. You can highlight the loved one’s life chronologically, or choose a theme, or create a series of anecdotes about their life.
Some things to include here:
- Accomplishments
- Major life events
- Stories and fond memories, including funny anecdotes
- Impact the person had on others
- Childhood
- Marriage/children/grandchildren/family life
- Travel stories
- Hobbies
- Any details that made them unique
- What you like most about them
Part 3: End Section: Summarizing the loved one’s life. This part is usually the shortest section. This is where you leave everyone with final thoughts.
Include:
- How you want your loved one to be remembered
- How they would want others to remember them
- A quote, scripture, or song lyric
- Thank everyone for attending the funeral
This is a guide to help you keep things organized during a difficult time. There is no right or wrong way to write a eulogy. No one else can speak about your loved one the way you can. Honor and share your loved one’s story in a way that you want others to remember them.
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