When someone dies, their close family and relatives may want to remember them in the best possible light. They can do this by allowing people who know the deceased person to give funeral tributes at the memorial person. This will provide an opportunity to those who have interacted with the dead person to share their memories.
If you have been asked to give a speech, take time to prepare. This will help you know what to say and what to leave out. It will also help you prepare psychologically to honor the deceased person. You can opt to write down your main thoughts so as to avoid loosing your train of thought when giving your speech.
Try and share some of the happy or most striking moments you shared with the person. To connect with the crowd, share something that the audience can identify with, such as a familiar character trait or habit of the deceased. Do your research by talking to friends and family of the deceased, so as to have a better understanding of the person.
Share on how the person influenced your life. This could be by something you observed in their life or something they said to you. Be genuine and real when giving your speech. This will help you connect better with the people you are talking to.
Do not be overly emotional when delivering your speech. While it is permissible to show some bit of emotion, you should be able to master yourself and talk in an audible voice. Remember to also speak a word of comfort to the family members who lost their loved one and do not just make the whole speech to be about you and the deceased.
Keep your speech short. This is because there would probably be other people waiting to give funeral tributes. You may include some bit of humor if the situation allows or if the deceased was a jovial person. Choose your words carefully and do not idolize the deceased.
