24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thank You For Writing This Book!, April 2, 2000
By A Customer
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
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
7/28/00, July 29, 2000
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
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Testimonial the author received- #2, November 10, 1999
By A Customer
"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
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