Many people find writing a eulogy to be a daunting task. An interesting eulogy was found in the book written by Debbie Reynolds, "Unsinkable: A Memoir".
In the chapter where she discusses her parents end of life wishes and their funerals, she mentions how her daughter, Carrie Fisher, wrote a touching tribute to her grandfather (Debbie's father). As Ms. Reynolds says, "When Daddy died, Carrie wrote a tribute to him that captured so many of his wonderful qualities."
Recipe for Ray (by Carrie Fisher)
(Printed in "Unsinkable: A Memoir" pages 111-112 by Debbie Reynolds)
"take one small stubborn Texan
preferably lean
ad a big busted gal from
therabouts
that answers to Maxene
fold in some railroad work,
a depression
two kids and a move to LA
beat in a bunch of baseball
(and) you've begun your recipe
for Ray
take your small stubborn
Texan
and gently remove all his
hair
build him a shop
outsdie any house he's got
and stik a radio there
sift in some well chosen
words
a kind heart beneath
leathery skin
stir in some peanuts and
coke
a tndency to smoke
sprinkle in dome "Dear Lord"
Help us jump in."
[Daddy's version of Grace]
add a dash of the sweetest
smile
some Palm Springs and a
little Ouray
fold in a favorite chair
the funny walk that gets him there
add "and the farmer hauled
another load of
hay" [Daddy's phrase for B.S.]:
This recipe for Ray
can be cooked up anytime
it simmers in our hearts
it fills us up real fine."
We thought this idea of a "recipe" made the eulogy a simple and fun way to include all of a friend's or loved one's cherished qualities in an easy to read format.
Have you ever been asked to write or have you written a eulogy?
What helpful tips can you share?
What do you remember about September 11th, 2001 and the days afterward?
For those of us who lived out of state when the trade towers were hit, our experiences were vastly different. We have our memories that were mostly shaped by television coverage and the reactions within our own communities.
But Kim Gordon, formerly of Sonic Youth, lived in New York City at the time and shares a little about what that time was like in her recent memoir, "Girl in a Band".
"It was a surreal, terrifying day. People....were wandering around... in a daze."
"The next morning...the streets were empty. I got very emotional thinking about New York as I looked down to where the towers once were and I saw a big nothing. It felt like the end."
"Every morning I got up early and turned on CNN just to make sure nothing else had happened, and I woke up in the middle of the night, too. This is still my sleep pattern."
"Later I found out that most of the power downtown in the financial district ran directly underneath Murray Street....Murray Street itself had chain-link fencing on both sides of the sidewalk and for months it was one big gaping hole, with the sidewalks and pavement regularly wetted down to dissolve the dust still permeating the air. 'Is this to wash away the dust of all the people killed in the towers?' I kept thinking."
It's hard to imagine being so close to the events that changed our world that tragic day.
Please share:
What do you remember about September 11th and the days afterwards?
What happened in your community after September 11th?
How did your friends and family deal with and handle the tragedy?
