Eulogy

A special thanks to all who wrote and emailed regarding the
loss of my grandmother. Mama B, as she was called, lived a
life of enthusiasm, service, and candor.


Though it might be rare (hopefully so), there may come a time
when you are asked to share a few thoughts in honor of someone
at a funeral. Here are the steps I used to prepare a eulogy
for my grandmother.


1. Theme. Think about the life of the individual. How would
you sum up the life of the person in one or two words? With
Mama B the theme was love.


2. Noun the theme. Since a noun is a person, place, or thing I
thought about Mama B and the nouns she loved. I spoke about
her love of family, of her home, of her friends, and of her
desire to cook the best homemade biscuits on the planet! What
people, places, and things can you associate to the individual
through the theme word you've chosen?

3. Illustrate. Use brief stories to show the theme in action.
Choose a few serious reflections and one or two funny stories
as well. Some may feel that laughter has no place at a
funeral, but I've found that families always enjoy getting to
relive joyful memories.

4. Close with a "live on" thought. I told the mourners that
Mama B's body may be gone, but not the impact of her life. She
lives on through the lives she touched. From the recipe Mrs.
Johnson uses for her pound cake, to the art she painted that
hangs in the mansion on Tallassee street - Mama B is still
living. Share with your family and friends how the influence
of one life lives on through many lives.

Public Speaking Tip of the Week