Since sadness tends to take over, I thought it might benefit my husband and children if I gave them some ideas for my eulogy now. God willing, this won't be used for a long time, so we'll call it a "shitty first draft" as inspired by Anne Lamott in Bird by Bird.
(I'm sure a special bullet will be added when I survive all three of my daughters' teenage years!)
Eulogy Edition One
Humor: She found the humor no matter the situation. Sometimes her laughter came at inappropriate times, but she laughed nonetheless.
Dance: She loved to dance, although she was plagued with two left feet. She preferred not to do so in public, unless her daughters asked her not to. Some of her best dancing occurred in the aisles of Target with three screaming and embarrassed children.
Giving: She'd give you the shirt off her back, whether you wanted it or not. Quite modest, she would delicately hand the shirt to you while she hid behind a door.
Open: Her goal was to be kind to everyone, to base her opinions on people's actions. Unkindness was her biggest pet peeve.
Food: We hope the heavens above are dripping with sugar, since it was her favorite. No longer will we make fun of and judge her favorite sandwich: peanut butter, bananas, and mayo. Nor shall we eat it. It seems best to retire it in her honor.
The focus would be light, entertaining and positive. There should be a lot of upbeat music, none of that somber, make-you-want-to-cry stuff. Funky Town pops to mind.
My mistakes and failings should be put aside. The lives I touched should be eating (yes, you guessed it--tons of sugar), dancing, and remembering the things I did right.
What would you want said at your eulogy?
*****
I hope you enjoyed E-day in my Blogging from A to Z journey. Please stop back by and see what I come up with for F to Z, and check out my fellow participants here.
9 comments:
I definitely agree that eulogies should be upbeat. I'd also like mine to be entertaining, since I'd like for people to say I entertained the world with my stories (how's that for the power of positive thinking?!?).
Continued success with the A to Z challenge,
Jocelyn
One of my best friends died a few years back, Tia (breast cancer). In some ways, I wish we had done the formal eulogy and a less formal one. We closer friends would have loved to have shared the funnier moments and our friend's inner beauty and quirks in a way that not everyone would understand. I'm pretty sure Barry Manilow and Lyle Lovett music would have played.
That and your post make me think what I want. Personally, I'd prefer a few kind words and my ashes thrown off a boat into the sea. Maybe they should play ABBA's Dancing Queen as the biodegradable urn sinks down. ;)
I really, really, hope that they just mention a few funny things from my life...oh, and a link to my blog ;-)) Which reminds me - I must designate a custodian for my online accounts...
Hi there, that's a good "E" post. I'd just like to be remembered for being extremely hardworking and giving my best efforts in everything I did.
This is me, Duncan D. Horne, visiting you from the A-Z challenge, wishing you all the best throughout April and beyond.
Duncan In Kuantan
I feel that eulogies need to be based off of heart, soul, and all shine.
Elizabeth
A to Z co-host
I have absolutely no idea. That's kind of pathetic. I'd want to be remembered for doing worthwhile things and, as Julie mentioned, having my ashes tossed to the winds.
But I loved the food reference! 8)
Joceyln, Oh, great one. I'd like the story bit, too.
Julie, Maybe that's the key. Too have the entertaining eulogy in a small group of friends who would embrace the idea.
Li, LOL. Yes, the link to the blog to reveal even more funny moments. ;-)
Duncan, Yes, hardworking and giving and silly when necessary. ;-)
Elizabeth, Love your words. Absolutely!
Eloise, There's little I can't relate to food. ;-)
I appreciate you all stopping by. I'm off to read some A to Z!
I know this was a few days ago, but I couldn't resist commenting even if no one reads it. Almost 10 years back, my husband and I lost a mutual acquaintance to a sudden heart attack. Quite spontaneously, I wrote out a 3 stanza eulogy for him in about 2 hours from start to polished, remembering him for his role in the larping community and some of his most-known characters.
When I was done, I wasn't sure what to do with it, so I showed it to one of our other larping friends who knew him better than we did. She loved it and asked for permission to use it during her part at the funeral. And the way she worked it in made the words become magical, making me cry and laugh at the same time with everyone else even though I'd been the one to write them. Best writing I've ever done. Too bad it was for a sad event. But I will always remember the one line in particular: "Farewell Hairy Fairy, Goodbye Papa Don."
Jaleh, I LOVE your story. I got misty-eyed reading it. I really appreciate you sharing it. We should all be so fortunate when we pass.
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