Funeral Readings

Funeral Readings or eulogies are speeches written to be read at funerals, to commemorate the memory of a departed loved one. Speech writing can be daunting at the best of times, but when you are in the midst of grieving process, it can be extremely difficult to compose yourself enough to write a eulogy worthy of your loved one. After all, it is considered a great honor to be asked to give a funeral reading and while the whole purpose is to speak from the heart while commemorating the person who has passed away, there are a few things to remember to help you along with writing it.

The best way to start is to collect all the necessary biographical information about the person who has passed away and this can be done with a help of other family members, friends, co-workers. This will help you not only to gather all the information to be included or mentioned in the reading, but also to enable you to decide early on the tone your writing will take. Some people opt for giving a serious speech about accomplishments achieved by the deceased in their lifetime, while others can decide to take on a more humorous tone remembering the fun times, the good memories and the laughter shared.

The best eulogy would be a combination of both mentioned above, done in good taste and always with a positive outlook. When you are grieving, it is normal that your thoughts are about death, but remember it is about celebrating a life lived as well. Collecting the information is also a good way to start as it will force you to write some things down. It will take a little time to make it perfect, so do not get frustrated if you are unable to write the reading in one sitting. In fact, it is often a good idea to get a start and then step away from it for a while and it is likely that words will come to you.

Remember to be sincere, as it will be felt by the congregation. Always rehearse any funeral readings with a family member or a friend to get their feedback, so you can edit if it is necessary. Once you are done with the writing, practice a few times in front of a family member, a friend, even a mirror will suffice.

If you are stuck for ideas or structure, you can flip through this book of Over 250 Funeral Poems And Readings.