Funeral eulogies

[Shadow Chaser 633]

So this is a slightly depressing topic but, let's face it, at some point, every single one of us is going to die. It's unpleasant to think about but it's a fact. I, however, don't focus on my death. I focus on the party that was my life and want my funeral to be a bit of a party. No black outfits or anything like that. Wear bright colors and celebrate the life I led.

 

This includes the eulogies that will inevitably be read. Keep it up beat. Tell embarrassing good-natured stories. Little things that always made you smile. I know of certain stories I would want people to tell, and things I would want them to say. My question to you all, is what is something you'd like to hear said at your funeral? A funny story that you hold dear? Or just some kind words from an old friend?

 

Personally, I'd like someone to read (or do) this.

 

“You want a physicist to speak at your funeral. You want the physicist to talk to your grieving family about the conservation of energy, so they will understand that your energy has not died. You want the physicist to remind your sobbing mother about the first law of thermodynamics; that no energy gets created in the universe, and none is destroyed. You want your mother to know that all your energ

y, every vibration, every Btu of heat, every wave of every particle that was her beloved child remains with her in this world. You want the physicist to tell your weeping father that amid energies of the cosmos, you gave as good as you got.

 

And at one point you’d hope that the physicist would step down from the pulpit and walk to your brokenhearted spouse there in the pew and tell him that all the photons that ever bounced off your face, all the particles whose paths were interrupted by your smile, by the touch of your hair, hundreds of trillions of particles, have raced off like children, their ways forever changed by you. And as your widow rocks in the arms of a loving family, may the physicist let her know that all the photons that bounced from you were gathered in the particle detectors that are her eyes, that those photons created within her constellations of electromagnetically charged neurons whose energy will go on forever.

 

And the physicist will remind the congregation of how much of all our energy is given off as heat. There may be a few fanning themselves with their programs as he says it. And he will tell them that the warmth that flowed through you in life is still here, still part of all that we are, even as we who mourn continue the heat of our own lives.

 

And you’ll want the physicist to explain to those who loved you that they need not have faith; indeed, they should not have faith. Let them know that they can measure, that scientists have measured precisely the conservation of energy and found it accurate, verifiable and consistent across space and time. You can hope your family will examine the evidence and satisfy themselves that the science is sound and that they’ll be comforted to know your energy’s still around. According to the law of the conservation of energy, not a bit of you is gone; you’re just less orderly.

 

Amen." - Aaron Freeman

[Verde Wub 52]

 

Ignore the first 20 seconds. I found this pretty interesting; she says a lot of things you said. And it's nice to see you agree that funerals should be happy. Be happy they lived as long as they did, not sad that they are gone!

[Shadow Chaser 633]

@, Yes! That's exactly how I feel! Why should funerals have to be so sad just because that's the social norm? I want a viking funeral. Burn me in a pile of wood and then everyone get drunk and have a blessed good time!

[Shadow Chaser 633]

@@Blue, So, rather than join in the discussion you decide to nit-pick one thing of that entire post? Seems reasonable. And faith and reason are not mutually inclusive. You certainly do not need faith to believe reason. And you sure as hell don't need reason to have faith. While I don't particularly agree with the statement that they shouldn't have faith it's pretty easy to overlook that for the greater point in the post.

 

Maybe next time instead of pointing out the things you disagree with in a passage you can look to the overall point of this thread and realize that even if you don't agree with what someone wants said at their funeral, that it is okay for them to want it said because it is their funeral.

 

Maybe then you can find it in yourself that writing moving statement isn't such a waste of your time and that we'd all like to hear it regardless if you disagree with something someone else has said.

[I used to be a stranger 7,993]

This post has been redacted by the author.

Edited May 3, 2021 by Blue

[Titan Rising 2,156]

 

I found this on youtube because I don't really care for eulogies. But this one is pretty nice i think.

[Shadow Chaser 633]

Which was good, because you can't see all that well if you got hit in the face with a dodgeball while at Christian Service Brigade.

I cringed SO hard at that. haha Too many similar memories.

 

I always enjoy reading things like that from people I hardly know. I know you mentioned some family members by name and I have no clue who they are but the stories and memories you associate with them means it doesn't matter how they are related to you. It's more important that you have those stories to share. I very much enjoyed reading that, sir.

 

@, That's sweet.

[I used to be a stranger 7,993]

This post has been redacted by the author.

Edited May 3, 2021 by Blue