When your grandpa passes in your adulthood, a family member may ask you to deliver a eulogy for him. Consider this a compliment. Delivering a eulogy is not something that people do lightly; people consider it an honour. And like many honours, it comes with a lot of pressure. Even if you’ve never been to a funeral before, there’s no doubt that you can do it.
Speak Your Truth
You do not have to go out of your way to make your eulogy touching, funny, or inspiring. Just tell your truth respectfully. The natural emotional response that stems from your truth will be more meaningful than if you tried to force an emotional response from attendees. It will be heartwarming on its own.
Be yourself, speak your truth, and all will be well.
Let People Know Who He Was
Whether you called him “Grandpa,” “Grampy,” “Gramps,” or even “Pop,” you are one of a group of lucky people who had the opportunity to know him. Give some thought as to how you want people to remember him, too. Consider starting your eulogy by listing the reasons why you admired your grandfather. Describe his sense of humour, what he liked, and if he had any lovable quirks. Avoid accusing him of wrongdoing and bringing up negative traits.
Tell a Story
Emotions aside, the basis of a good eulogy is storytelling—an anecdote. An anecdote is a great way to give an example of how great your grandfather was or remember something about him. It may also help you work through the emotional stress of giving this speech. By revisiting something familiar to you, you don’t have to worry about coming off as insincere, writing a eulogy that feels like an essay, or being someone you’re not.
Just a simple story about thirty minutes in a family’s life can catch your audience’s attention. It lets them see more about who your granddad was.
Eulogy Example
“My Granddad George was a powerhouse of a man. He worked two jobs until he was 66 and still trained other guys for the company after he retired. One day, when I was about 13 and visiting my grandparents, the president of the company called Granddad all irate and said, “You made a mistake, George! This document shows that you have the windows at 29″ off the floor. They need to be 36″ for safety.”
Granddad shot back, “Yeah, right, and the floor will collapse. Look again at the drawings!” He hung up in disgust. Grandma got very upset and worried, and she said to Granddad, “You’re going to lose your job, and then what will we do?” I sat there and didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say a thing. “Oh, he’s the fool,” Granddad said. “But he will admit when he is wrong, and he is wrong now. He’ll call back.”
Thirty minutes later, the phone rang again. Granddad’s eyes twinkled as he picked up the phone. It was his boss. “Ah, I see,” he said, “Sure, it’s not a problem. Why, sure.”
Grandma and I were on tenterhooks, but all we could do is to wait. Grandpa and his boss spoke on the phone for a good 15 or 20 minutes. When he finally hung up, he took a deep breath, and then he grinned. “I just got offered a promotion and a $50 a week raise. I saved the company a hundred thousand dollars!” he said, “We’re rich!” We laughed for hours, off and on, and Grandpa was probably more upbeat from then on out.”
Use Visual Aids
If you’re still stuck, look for visual aids. A photograph or even something your grandfather gave you can help you build a story. It will also help your audience connect to your words even more.
Not Least
Bear in mind that your eulogy is not the only way that people will remember your grandfather. You do not have to recount his life from birth to death. The small chapter of his life that you are sharing is special to you and special to everyone.