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Author
Biography Dianna
Edwards is a retired school teacher who has spent most of her life writing as
well as teaching, with articles on educational matters and some short stories
being published. Her current
occupation mainly concerns the writing of eulogies and wedding ceremonies. Her
experience as a eulogy writer has led her to the belief that to be able to
memorialise a person, whilst also giving solace and support, is a most rewarding
achievement and a gift to families in a time of perhaps their greatest need. Dianna
Edwards lives with her husband, Geoff, with their two dogs in rural FOREWORD
Summing
up the events of a person’s life in a funeral service of sixty minutes or less
would seem impossible. How could anyone condense a person’s entire life into
such a short space of time? I
have worked with civil celebrant Geoff Edwards and his wife Dianna for six
years. It is remarkable on how many occasions I have listened to families
expressing their gratitude for the eulogy Dianna has composed. Many families are
surprised at how beautifully and accurately Dianna has been able to capture the
essence of the person who has died. Some family members are so succinct that
they will bluntly state, ‘That’s exactly what Dad is like!’ or ‘How did
you know that Mum was like that?’ or ‘When did we tell you that?’ Dianna
possesses the rare gifts of being able to listen and hear what people mean, not
necessarily what they say, and to form those ideas into a clear and simple word
portrait that the family have helped her paint. Her accuracy is uncanny, often
portraying the person ‘warts and all’ and occasionally with gentle humour.
Her eulogies are the equal of any I have seen presented in my thirty years of
caring for families. As
I say, this is a gift. It
has been a pleasure and a comfort to me to be able to recommend Geoff and Dianna
to grieving families. With Dianna’s help they are going to discover things
about their loved one that they never knew and collaborate in a meaningful,
fitting and appropriate farewell. Who could ask for more than this? Sharing
her knowledge and tips, this little book offers wisdom and benefit on every
page. Dianna Edwards shares her gift with all who endeavour to write a eulogy
and I thank her for this. Stephen
Baggs Stephen
Baggs Funeral Directors August 2006 INTRODUCTION
‘One
way to evaluate your own reputation is to think about what would be said of you
at your eulogy.’ Brian
Koslow, Founder & CEO of Breakthrough Coaching I’m
sitting in the middle of a pew in the back row of a church in which I’ve never
sat before. A friend of mine has died and I have joined a hundred or so mourners
at his funeral. The
priest has said prayers, a relative has read from the Bible and now the priest
is launching into the homily. But it’s a sermon. Where’s the eulogy? It
puzzles me that we are listening to a lecture about the leading of a good life.
There is talk of Jesus and there is talk of heaven and all its glories. I
expect this but I also expect to hear about the life of my friend. We
are all here to farewell Frank and we want to know all about him, even if we
think we already know most of it. We want to drink him in – wallow in our
Frankie memories – for one last time as we say goodbye. Finally,
the priest begins to speak of Frank. He was a good man, a good husband, a good
son to his parents and a good father to his children. He contributed to society
and now he’s gone – to bask in the glory of the heavenly Father and all his
angels. And suddenly we’re hearing about Fred. Fred? Momentarily, the priest
has lost his little reminder piece of paper that says ‘Frank’ in large
letters. We
have all attended such funerals. Some of them have been quite moving and yet,
the person behind the reason we are there is not the main character in this
performance. And, after all, it is him for whom we have come. Let’s hear about
him. Let’s recall all he’s done in his life. Let’s be sad that he has left
us but let us smile at our remembrances while we are gathered to farewell him. Certainly
in church celebrations of the ending of a life, there must be a defining
religious message of redemption and heavenly love. There must be reminders of
the faith and hope in an afterlife. But
the person for whom we are currently directing our faith (in the afterlife) must
surely be talked about and recognised for who he or she was and for what he or
she did throughout his/her life. People
tend to feel uncomfortable around those who have experienced losing a family
member but talking about the recently deceased is not only good ‘therapy’
for those who are mourning, it is absolutely necessary for communications to be
left wide open. It is also crucial that those who are bereaved are allowed to
express how much they miss the person. And
it is important for all to keep the memory of that person alive. Let’s hear it for the person who has so recently left us!
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