A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Eulogy

Writing a eulogy at a time when you're probably already grieving might feel like more than you can handle. But if you can take a deep breath and put your apprehensions aside, you'll find that it can be a profound and satisfying experience -- allowing you to help others celebrate your loved one's life and work through your own grief at the same time. Here's how:

Step One: Gather the raw material.

• Talk to other close relatives, friends, and acquaintances.
• Look through photo albums, letters, and other memorabilia.
• Take a walk through your loved one's house and yard, looking at the books on the shelves and notes and mementos on the fridge or bulletin board.
• Try to identify your loved one's unique qualities, including:
  
  • Hobbies, interests, life's passions -- from a favorite author to a secret guilty pleasure. (Obviously, the latter should be something innocuous, like an inability to resist jelly doughnuts.)
  • Special sayings, favorite poems, or songs
  • Characteristic habits or gestures
  • A telling anecdote