How to Write a Heart-Inspired Eulogy for Your Father

Every year, millions of daughters lose their fathers. The father-daughter relationship is unique. Whether this relationship exists between a biological father and daughter or an adoptive father-adopted daughter, no replacement exists. Many daughters take comfort in writing and delivering a eulogy for their father's funeral service.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Gather all of the pictures you have of your father. Put them all in one place, so that you can spread them out to view. Spend time just looking at the photographs for awhile. Allow yourself to feel the feelings that come up.

2. Write down the feelings that come up in your heart as you view these photographs. Your eulogy is going to come from your heart, not an etiquette guide or manual. The pictures may invoke special memories. Write them down. Just write freely without feeling the need to organize the information yet.

3. Write down your two favorite things about your father. Do this on a separate piece of paper. Be detailed. Allow the feelings and memories to resurface. Did your dad always make you feel special? Perhaps your dad always supported your choices in life.

4. Think about your favorite memory of your father. This memory may or may not have come up in step number one. Write this memory down on a separate piece of paper. Be as specific as you can.

5. Set your three papers out side by side and review them. Circle or underline your favorite thing from the activity you did in step number two (with the photographs). Next, underline the details from step number three concerning your favorite things about your father. Finally, review your memory page and underline or circle the specifics of your favorite memory.

6. Combine the underlined or circled elements from these three papers and rewrite them on a fourth piece of paper. This will comprise the majority of your eulogy. As you can see, your are writing your eulogy from the heart, not from an instruction book.

7. Peruse books that inspire you. Look for a quote that addresses some aspect of your father, his life or your feelings about him. Add this quote to the fourth piece of paper that you wrote on in step number six. You now have a heart-inspired eulogy.

Tips & Warnings

• Type your eulogy and rehearse it a few times.

[Angela-Eward]

on 3/18/2008 By the way, I actually delivered a eulogy for my father. He did not want a funeral, so the event was more of an honorary note for his military service. I found it incredibly fulfilling to speak from my heart about my dad.