Nobody expects you not to shed a few tears. Funerals are an extremely emotional event. Laughter is truly the best medicine, and some well placed humor will help people cope, and will bring back fond memories of the deceased. Keep it appropriate, as there will be children and the elderly there that may not share the same sense of humor. Fondly remember a story about the person that everyone can relate too. A funeral is not a roast, however there is room for humor in your eulogy. The more you practice you have, the more comfortable you will be. Become familiar with your speech so you can recite it without making it look like you’re reading from a script. Practice in front of a mirror, read it to your friends or family, and have them give you feedback. Read over your eulogy several times in order to become familiar with it. That will be the time to make any necessary revisions.

When you think you are done, sleep on it, and look it over in the morning when your mind is fresh again. Keep in mind the length of your eulogy it’s best to keep things on the short side, especially if there are other speakers. Print it out in a large font or, if it is hand-written, leave a few spaces between the lines. When you bring a copy of your eulogy to the podium, make sure it is easy to read. Writing it all down allows you to include and remember every detail you wanted in your eulogy. This is not a toast at a wedding where you can make off the cuff remarks, and you should not ad lib a eulogy. Create an outline of your speech, and fill in the information that you gathered about the person. Jot down your ideas by whatever means are most comfortable and familiar to you. Some important information to include in the eulogy is the person's family and other close relationships, their education/career, hobbies or special interests, places the person lived or traveled too, and any special accomplishments they had. Talk with family members, close friends and co-workers to get important information on the deceased. Here are some tips for writing and delivering an eloquent and memorable eulogy.

How can you summarize somebody’s life in a few short minutes, while being both somber and funny at the same time? Writing and delivering a eulogy is a therapeutic tool to help deal with your grief, and being chosen to give a eulogy is an honor and should be treated that way. Giving a meaningful, moving eulogy can be a nerve-wracking situation for even the most accomplished public speaker, but it doesn't have to be.

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