Eulogy help

Practise reading it aloud Dawn.

At my friends funeral a few weeks ago one of the guys who did readings/speaches mucked up real bad.

He was so nervous.

He meant to say she trained six successful dogs......(she was a greyhound trainer).........and he accidentally said she had sex with dogs.

Dawn, I have written eulogies and spoken twice. It isn't easy to do. I learned a few things.

Firstly, those at the funeral are a forgiving lot and don't expect perfection, just something from the heart.

Personally I don't think you need to warn the attendees that your speech will be short.

Regarding being nervous. Flashie is right. Read it out loud a few times to get your pacing right. If you read it quite a few times, the parts that are upsetting to you will be a little less so, I promise.

Don't speak quickly as people might miss something important you are saying. And, something that helps me, if I start to feel nervous or weepy, I take deep breaths. This always helps settle the tears and allows you to keep talking. Good luck with it and I hope you feel a little more at peace at the end of the day.

I feel like I should mention that only the minister, the brother and I will be speaking so this feels really important.

The spouse and kids are too devastated. I want to honor them as well.

I like this bit.

"Now I have so much to tell them. I want to talk again, just one more time. I want to tell them how much they meant to me. "

that's a good idea printing it out in large text and I agree with everything Prim said in her first post


Just speak from the heart ( which you will do).. take some tissues with you just in case and if you feel yourself starting to lose it during your eulogy take a deep breath and focus


when is her funeral Dawn??

good luck Dawn.... It's tough I know.... hope you're doing OK, the shock of it takes a while to comprehend

Dawn, i am of zero help because i do not believe in funerals, but i will be thinking of you tomorrow

i'm with maggie. please know you're in my heart tomorrow, like you were today. i couldn't do it, you can.

Just remember dawn, when it comes down to it everybody will be there to celebrate the life of your friend. Nothing you say, that comes from your heart, can possibly be wrong to them.
You’ll be fine ❤️

Same from me, Dawn

You know how you always think that you were worse than you were?

I think I was worse than I thought.
But it's not like I got a critique.

I sobbed, I lost my place on the page, I fumbled my words. I added stuff ad lib.
My glasses got fogged up.

But it's done and I can't change anything.


I felt like I was 12 years old and at my piano recital, where the boy who went before me played Fur Elise perfectly and I followed with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

No one else chose to speak, though. So in a small way- even though I sucked- my friend would be happy that I stepped up to the plate.




Also: I forgot how pantyhose are pure torture. Now I remember.

I look back on this last week and I realize all these small coincidences occurred, and it makes me feel like maybe we are premonitious at times, and maybe other worldly forces can be present.

My friend told me they were going to die soon, even though I brushed it off.

Tuesday night I caught wind that a coworker might be let go- and I asked the person for their contact info (we seem to really get along). They said I was being silly- we see each other at work all the time.
It started a group discussion about a series of people who we saw one day, then never saw again. That was the last time my BFF would be at work.

The song thing:
So let's say my BFF was an Elton John fanatic. (Hypothetically).
When I was buying my funeral outfit, Harmony started playing in the store.
(Made me cry cuz I thought of my friend)
At the funeral Candle in the Wind and Rocketmsn were on a loop (obviously because everyone knew about the favorites).
When I left the funeral and turned on the radio Someone Saved My Life Tonight was playing.

When I went to work hours later, I turned on the radio and Philadelphia Freedom was playing.

Oh and.... the gravestone next to my friend's burial spot has my last name.


When I was driving through the cemetery to get to the graveside service I noticed a stone "Fulcum".
I smiled a little. If my friend was there with me they would say, "Fulcum? I hardly knew him!".


My heart is still very heavy.
And maybe everything was coincidental.
Or maybe my friend told me they were leaving and then let me know they are ok and I will be ok via the radio.

Dear Dawn, no one on this planet can do any more than their best. Ad-libbing is ok, it was from your heart.

I believe in premonitions as I have them myself. Take care of yourself and give your dogs big hugs as they are probably sensing something and will want to comfort you.