Eulogies:Tips and Ideas

When my cousin Craig had to deliver my grandmother's eulogy this past year he was a ball of nerves. What elements make a great eulogy and do you know of any resources you can direct people to?

I don't know many references to give but I did find this on the internet (http://www.thefuneraldirectory.com/eulogy.html). I have been honored a few times in my life to give Eulogies for family, friends and fellow soldiers. The biggest thing I can say is to write your Eulogy in the spirit of the person it is for. Generally if you are chosen to write the eulogy it's because you were close to the person. So that must mean you know at least a bit about the person's personality and how they were. I remember when a friend of mine from the military was accidentally killed in a car crash. Her family asked me to do the eulogy for her. At first I was really stressed out about it, but then I decided to think, "What would she want?" It's a harder question than you can imagine! My friend was young and full of energy. So I had decided that she probably wouldn't have wanted me to deliver some dry biography of her life. Instead I shared some of the inside jokes she and I had. I shared some funny stories and told the secrets behind some of the little nick-names we had for each other. There wasn't a single tear in the audience. There was laughter! It was beautiful because I knew my friend wouldn't have wanted people to be sad thinking about her. Instead we laughed. There had been enough crying.

Wow that is really sweet Tia! I'm not very good at giving speaches especially when I'm really emotional. That is good advice though Tia!