Product Description

A Labor of Love: How To Write A Eulogy is a book for people who want to make a contribution to a memorial service. A eulogy is a wonderful way to recapture memories, express emotions, and share experiences with loved ones. This book provides guidance, reassurance, helpful phrases, and the clearly-defined steps that people need when they have very little time, writing experience, or emotional composure. The book even suggests topics to write about.

This 96-page book includes sample eulogies of famous people such as Mohandas Gandhi, John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Itzhak Rabin, Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis, Princess Diana, and others. These alone make interesting reading.

A Labor of Love also contains a section of appropriate poems, a discussion of the healing power of writing, and a description of a concept called, "The Living Eulogy."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #362679 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780964578029
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"I made good use of your Eulogy Book. Don't know what I would have done without it. Judging from the comments passed along to me and my wife after the funeral service, I did a great job." -- Joe N., via e-mail

"I practiced writing out eulogies for two people who have meant a great deal to me: my sister and a long-time friend. It was a revelation to discover that both have been my mentors. What a gift!" -- Carol N., Brooklyn Park, MN

"I would like to thank you for your help. I delivered a eulogy at my friend's funeral and it went well. I didn't follow your outline word for word, but I'm sure what you have written played a major part in my success. Your idea of cluster outlining was very good. It gave me lots of ideas of what to write about. As you mentioned in the book, writing does help. Even if I hadn't been asked to deliver it, I would have written for two peoplemy friend's wife and myself." -- Steve P., via e-mail

"Just a note to let you know that, not only did I receive the booklet, but found it extremely helpful, friendly, respectful, and full of good ideas. Thanks so much for doing it. -- Laurie P, via e-mail

"Just wanted to thank you again for being there. My grandmother passed away the day after I received your book. I gave the eulogy and her funeral in New York last Monday. It was amazing...everyone was so moved. I could never have done it without your guidance and kind words." -- Robyn A., via e-mail

"Thanks for the book. We were notified tonight that the services were moved up from Saturday to Thursday afternoon. The book is even more important than I originally thought. Thanks again for writing it. It is seldom that we would even think of needing such material." -- Doug W., via e-mail

"Thanks so much for making the Eulogy Book available over the Internet. This was my first time to prepare and deliver a eulogy and the book was a great aid in organizing my thoughts and putting them down on paper. It wasn't easy. I'm sure it never is. But the book certainly made it easier for me." -- Michael B., via e-mail

From the Publisher
A Labor of Love is valuable for people who want to use writing as a therapeutic tool. William Shakespeare once wrote, "Give sorrow words." Writing a eulogy can help, even if it is never delivered at a memorial service. Writing provides a catharsis and can serve as a catalyst for change at any time in one's life. The author has been a professional writer for over 17 years. His light, charming, conversational writing style helps reassure people and guide them through this difficult time.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Writing and delivering a eulogy is a noble gesture that is worthy of thought and effort. This is an opportunity to make a contribution to the memorial servicea contribution that your friends and family will remember for a long time. You will not regret the effort that it takes.

You Can Do It. This is a difficult time for you. You may find it difficult to concentrate. Be assured, however, that you can write a eulogy and deliver it. Just follow the steps that you will be given and in an hour or so you will have completed a first draft.

For now, keep a positive frame of mind about it. Realize that everyone who will attend the memorial service will be with you 100 percent. They will support you and appreciate your efforts. Don't worry about delivering a perfect speech. No one expects you to have the delivery of a great orator or the stage presence of an actor. Just be you; that is enough.

How To Use This Book If you have very little timeor are not confident about your writing abilityyou can go immediately to the Questions section on page six and then to the Helpful Phrases on page 11. These will enable you to put something together very quickly.

If you can take some time to write the eulogyand perhaps be a bit more creativethen read and work through the book from start to finish.

What A Eulogy Should Accomplish

Some people think a eulogy should be an objective summation of a loved one's life. Some people think it should speak for everyone who is present at the funeral. Both of these assumptions are unrealistic.

A eulogy is much more simple. It should convey the feelings and experiences of the person giving the eulogy. The most touching and meaningful eulogies are written from a subjective point of viewand from the heart. So don't feel compelled to write the person's life story. Instead, tell your story.

Clearly, the burden of the eulogy does not have to be yours completely. If you have the time, ask friends or relatives for their recollections and stories. In a eulogy, it is perfectly acceptable to say, "I was talking to Uncle Lenny about Ron; he reminded me of the time Ron came to our Thanksgiving dinner with half of his face clean-shaven and the other half bearded. It was Ron's funny way of showing that he had mixed feelings about shaving off his beard."

Honesty is very important. In most cases, there will be a lot of positive things to say about your loved one. Once in a while, there is someone with more negative traits than positive qualities. If that is the case, remember, you don't have to say everything. Just be honest about the positive qualities and everyone will appreciate the eulogy.

Remember, you do not have to write a perfect eulogy. Whatever you write will be appreciated by the people at the funeral. If you are inclined to be a perfectionist, lower your expectations and just do what you can given the short time-frame and your emotional state.

Customer Reviews

Thank You For Writing This Book!
4/2/00

Dear Gary,

I guess it must be around months or maybe a year ago when I first ordered your book. At the time my mother was still alive but was suffering with congestive heart failure. Since she had been near the brink and back several times, I realized that when she did pass, I wanted to eulogize her for my family as I was her only son (39 yrs old, w. 4 older sisters!). I purchased the book ahead of time as I found my mind coming up with some ideas, yet I wanted more formal direction.

Well, the day finally came 12/17/99. She had been near the end the previous week, but started recovering as she had so many times before. When she lulled us into a sense the emergency had passed, she slipped out the back door when we weren't looking!

The bottom line is, I am so grateful for you and your book. Although I found it a very difficult task to sit down and work on her eulogy while she was alive (more procrastination than doing taxes!), I did manage to create an outline after first creating a "cluster". When the time came, I was able to take the outline and create the actual eulogy.

Eventhough I had only created the outline while she was alive, it gave me great relief knowing I had gotten that far, and that it was waiting for me when the time was required.

My family and I feel very blessed to have had our mother (and father), but dad had passed away when kids aged from 21 to 11. She overcame quite a bit to get her 5 kids through college. Therefore, I had quite a bit that I wanted to say. The only suggestion I was unable to follow was to keep it in the 5-10 minute range, I guess mine was more like 10-15 minutes (abridged!). But what the heck as they say. Even my minister and the funeral director encouraged me to do what I wanted.

People were very touched by what I wrote. I couldn't have done it w/o you, Gary. I am a decent public speaker, but this was a whole new ball game! You made a very very difficult task both approachable and possible. I am proud of the finished product and I believe I gave her the sendoff she deserved. She was one in a million.

You have provided a tremendous service by writing LOL and you deserve great accolades in the help you provide to those of take on this true "labor of love". It's amazing that more isn't written about eulogies as death is a universal experience. This fact makes me more grateful that you wrote what you wrote!

Gratefully Yours, Richard Lempke

7/28/00
I had to deliver the eulogy at my mother's recent funeral service and this was without doubt the most difficult thing I have ever had to do in my life. However, after reading the book, I was able to say things that otherwise I could not possibly have put into words. I was able to walk away from the occasion knowing in my heart that I had said exactly what I had wanted to say.

Without the support provided by this book I could not possibly have done so. I offer you my sincerest thanks for the support given by the book.

With grateful thanks, J. Wilson

A Testimonial the author received- #2
"My older brother died unexpectedly last week at the age of 48. I volunteered to give the eulogy because no one else in the family felt they could do it. I wasn't sure I could do it, but felt someone in the family should do it.

I learned of your book on the internet and ordered it. It was the best thing I could have done. After reading about clustering, I tried it and I didn't stop writing for thirty minutes...ideas just poured out of my mind. I also found your tips for delivering the eulogy to be very helpful.

As you suggested, I found this experience to be one of the most rewarding of my life. I felt good about the eulogy and many of the over 200 people in attendance told me it was the best eulogy they ever heard.

So....thank you for making this book available....I highly recommend it to anyone who finds themselves in the position I was in last week.

Sincerely,

G. E. Smith