| We all know that we should never speak ill of the | | | | perhaps the stories she read to us as children, the |
| dead. Funeral speeches, therefore, should | | | | way she went to work to help pay for our |
| concentrate on showing the good side of the | | | | education or the way she nursed us when we |
| deceased. Whether we call them funeral speeches | | | | were ill. When speaking of a father we might |
| or funeral eulogies they should demonstrate how | | | | mention how he attended every football match |
| much the deceased meant during his or her | | | | we played or how they taught us to play chess. |
| lifetime. | | | | These are the personal memories that mean so |
| Funeral speeches, therefore, should be positive. | | | | much. |
| They should bring comfort to those who loved | | | | Always remember that your audience is grieving. |
| the deceased. You can do this by making them | | | | Share in their grief by telling them how much you |
| out to be wonderful in many ways. It is up to | | | | too miss the deceased. Tell them those little |
| you to show their generosity, their goodness and | | | | incidents that show the deceased in a good light. |
| what they achieved in life. | | | | Tell of the fun you had together on holiday. Speak |
| Most of us take our own achievements for | | | | of that golf tournament you won or the debate in |
| granted. We are born; we learn to walk and talk, | | | | which you took opposing sides. |
| become educated and get a job. These things are | | | | Funeral speeches should make the deceased |
| too ordinary to be mentioned. What should be | | | | come to life. They should make your audience |
| mentioned in funeral speeches is how the job was | | | | sigh and smile. They should say, in a few words, |
| done, and how many people were better off for | | | | how special those you have lost were. They |
| knowing the deceased. Funeral speeches should | | | | should make family and friends are proud that the |
| laud their influence on others and what they did to | | | | deceased played such an important part in their |
| make them worth remembering. | | | | lives. Whatever the beliefs of those present leave |
| Most of us don't give funeral speeches for | | | | them with a sense of hope that the person they |
| famous people. We give them instead for | | | | loved and lost is not entirely gone but remains |
| mothers or fathers, relatives or friends. We give | | | | with them in spirit. |
| them for people who meant a lot in our lives. Our | | | | Niamh Crowe |
| funeral speeches should reflect that fact. Speaking | | | | Copyright Speechwriters Tel. |
| of a well loved mother we should mention | | | | |