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Writing a eulogy for your mother can be emotional and difficult, but it also gives you the opportunity to celebrate her life. Everyone at the funeral or memorial service will most likely be gracious and interested in hearing your stories and reflections. Write a eulogy for your mother by gathering and organizing the information you plan to share and writing out what you want to say.
Steps
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Think about the goal of the eulogy. When you sit down to create an outline for your eulogy, consider your goals before writing anything down. First keep in mind the difference among a eulogy, obituary, and elegy. A eulogy is speech usually given during the visitation or wake that pays your mother tribute.
- An obituary is a short announcement of your mother’s passing that appears in the newspaper, while an elegy is a poem or song of lament.
- A eulogy is a speech containing a tribute to your mother's life, which may contain a brief story of your mother's life. Make your eulogy tell your own story about your mother rather than cater to what everyone else is telling you to write.
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Brainstorm memories and facts. After you have determined the goal of your eulogy, start collecting material for it. Make a list of everything you can think of to use in the eulogy—funny anecdotes, facts about her life, favorite memories you shared, lessons she taught you, and so on.
- Questions you could ask yourself to help you brainstorm include, What one quality of my mother do I remember most?
- Try asking yourself, What is something my mother always used to do to comfort me?
- Once you have your list, whittle it down to stories and memories that achieve the goal you have set for the eulogy.
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Interview your close relatives. Ask your relatives if they have any stories they want to contribute to the eulogy. More than likely, you will get quite a few anecdotes to add to your brainstorm list. [1] X Research source
- Ask them questions like, What is your favorite memory of my mother?
- Another question could be, What life lessons did my mother teach you?
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Organize the body in the outline. In the body, organize your anecdotes in a specific way, such as chronologically or in logical categories. Doing this will give your eulogy focus so that others can follow what you are saying.
- For example, instead of in order of occurrence, you could group your anecdotes by type: personal memories, others’ memories, her favorite things, her influence on your life, her influence on others’ lives, and concluding with how much she will be missed before giving the conclusion.
- You might also use poems or songs performed by other family members for the body. [2] X Research source
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Have an introduction and conclusion. The introduction should open with a brief greeting to the crowd and an introduction of yourself, including your relationship to your mother. The conclusion should repeat the main theme of your eulogy. [3] X Research source
- For example, you could open with, "Hello everyone, my name is Sam and I am Mary's son. I am honored to be sharing her eulogy with you today."
- You could end with, "Thank you for coming to honor my mother today. I know she would be so grateful."
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Write for reading out loud. Consider that you will likely read your eulogy out loud at the visitation or wake for your mother. Use diction and vocabulary appropriate for this, such as thanking others for coming. Also makes notes indicating where pauses should occur. This means avoiding a formal tone.
- Focus on writing the way you speak. Simply reading a script to an audience can feel dry and ultra-formal, an effect you may want to avoid.
- Try writing your eulogy in a list format, leaving room for improvisation so that you are not constantly looking down at the paper.
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Begin with the body of the eulogy. Most pieces of writing have a beginning, middle, and end. For a eulogy, you need an intro, body, and conclusion. In order to produce an engaging introduction, start writing the body, then move to the conclusion before returning to write the intro. Writing in this order helps you figure out what you are going to say so that the introduction is more clear.
- Keep in mind that you will likely write several revisions before coming up with a copy that you are happy with. [4] X Research source
- Ask relatives and friends to read over or listen to you read your rough drafts to help make the eulogy stronger.
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Choose a tone for the eulogy. The tone for a eulogy does not have to be sad, although it certainly can be. Ask yourself some questions to determine what the mood and tone of your eulogy should be. For instance, how would your mother want you to feel? How do you want others to feel after hearing or reading your eulogy?
- Consider the personality of your mother. Was she vibrant and energetic? Warm and loving? Think about making the tone of your eulogy match your mother’s personality.
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Understand what not to include. Knowing what a eulogy is can help you decide what things to leave out. For starters, think of a eulogy as a gift to your mother. Your gift will assist everyone close to her in processing the grief they feel. [5] X Research source That being said, you can choose to filter out things that don’t fit this mold.
- You will probably want to exclude negative things. If you were angry with her when she passed, forgiving her before penning the eulogy can help you focus on positive aspects.
- Stay away from trivial facts that do not contribute to the main theme of your eulogy, such as her daily habits.
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Avoid striving for perfection. Keep in mind that this eulogy does not need to be perfect in any way. View it as a way to honor your mother, and the funeral guests will appreciate it for this gesture. Take pressure off yourself to perform perfectly with this eulogy, which will help you speak from the heart.
- If you tend to be a perfectionist, try to lower your expectations by imagining how you would expect a sibling to do this, or another relative. Treat yourself as you would them (i.e., have compassion for mistakes).
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Share the legacy you believe she left. In the body of your eulogy, be sure to include the legacy you believe your mother is leaving behind. A legacy is what you hope she will be remembered for and what she would have been most proud for people to remember about her. [6] X Research source
- Think about if your mother ever told you what she wanted to be remembered for, or ask others if she talked to them about this.
- If she never told anyone what she wished to be remembered for, think about the main theme of her life. What did she spend the most time doing? What did she sacrifice the most for? Is there anyone who is grateful to her for a service she performed?
- For example, your mother's favorite sayings or life philosophy, or what she said was her proudest achievement.
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Detail some of her achievements. Talk about some of the greatest things your mother achieved. This does not have to be something grandiose like designing a famous building or doing something in the public eye. Perhaps you and your siblings are well-adjusted individuals, and that was a great achievement.
- Achievements can be both tangible and intangible.
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Bring in touching anecdotes. Anecdotes can be both touching and humorous. In fact, a mix of both creates a balance to your eulogy that relieves some of the heavy burden of grief. Be sure to include both on your brainstorm list. [7] X Research source
- Get ideas from your friends and relatives.
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Euology-Writing Help
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionWhat do people usually speak about at a funeral?David I. Jacobson is the founder of Chicago Jewish Funerals, an independent Jewish owned funeral provider that evolved into two funeral homes in the Chicagoland area. With over 30 years of experience serving families, David is a leading expert on Kavod Hamet, the Jewish traditions of honoring and respecting the dead. David is an active funeral director that serves people planning and in need of funerals, lecturing to congregations, community groups, and schools extensively about the values of the Jewish funeral as well as the dying process and the value of one’s legacy.People usually talk about their loved one and their relationship with the person who died. They focus on how the deceased affected their life.
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QuestionWhat's an example of a eulogy?Mady ParkCommunity AnswerIf you want to see a really meaningful eulogy, you should look up the eulogies from "The Fault In Our Stars" on YouTube. Those are really good ones.
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QuestionShould I include the cause of her death in my mother's eulogy?Community AnswerThe eulogy is a story of her life and the people she loved. While those closest to her probably already know the cause, I see no reason to divulge something like that publicly. Celebrate who she was instead.
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Tips
- Remember to thank everyone for coming. You can do this at the beginning or end of your eulogy.Thanks
- Be sure to practice your eulogy at least once before delivering it at the memorial service. You can do this on your own in front of a mirror, or in front of relatives to get their feedback.Thanks
- Keep some water with you when you deliver your eulogy, as well as tissues. It is okay to get emotional or to stop and take a breath.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.myfarewelling.com/article/eulogy-examples
- ↑ http://www.write-out-loud.com/eulogy-write.html
- ↑ http://www.write-out-loud.com/eulogy-write.html
- ↑ https://www.myfarewelling.com/article/eulogy-examples
- ↑ http://www.write-out-loud.com/eulogy-write.html
- ↑ http://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/legacy
- ↑ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anecdote
About This Article
Article Summary
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Writing a eulogy for your mother is an emotionally difficult process, but it can also be a chance to celebrate her life in your own words. Start by introducing yourself with something like “Hello everyone, my name is Sam and I’m Mary’s son. I am honored to be sharing her eulogy with you today.” Then, talk about things like your favorite memories, facts about her life, or the lessons she taught you. Finally, close the eulogy with something like “Thank you for coming to honor my mother today. I know she would be so grateful." For more tips, like how to choose the tone of your eulogy, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "A reminder to have water and of course tissues. When speaking in public, ones throat can feel so dry that it is difficult to speak. Also asking relatives for any stories they want to contribute is very helpful and inclusive." ..." more
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"A reminder to have water and of course tissues. When speaking in public, ones throat can feel so dry that it is difficult to speak. Also asking relatives for any stories they want to contribute is very helpful and inclusive."
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"I had no idea what was expected of me until I read this. I learned it was as much about me as it was about her, I even enjoyed being able to confidently write a fitting eulogy with your help."
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"Your article reminded me that no matter how much I know, the emotions of the day will empty my brain completely. So I wrote it all down first and read it often."
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"The introduction helped, but I was also really looking for a closing sentence to end on something light or humorous. Thank you for your help with content."
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"Great article, didn't know where to start. After reading through, sure do know we're to go with the tribute for my mother. Thank you."
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