Speaking at my Mum's Funeral tomorrow

[Just Creed]

So sorry for your loss and i actually respect the hell that you want to keep your speech a lot brighter. Hope you and your family are ok bud

 

[Fuzzybabyducks]

sorry,. how did it all go?

 

[Grassshoppa]

So sorry for your loss. My mom passed away 10 years ago from cancer and I still miss her dearly. I just read a book of hers over the past few weeks called Embraced by the Light. It might help you find some comfort some day. Sending you a prayer.

 

[HelloJapan]

So sorry to hear, my condolences. I hope all went well...I'm sure she's very proud of you. RIP.

 

[Philo-Publius]

4 years ago she got diagnosed with cancer and was given 12 months to live, she went through it all radiotherapy, chemo and a procedure known as "The Mother of All Operations".

She had a few good years in that time between treatments, we managed a couple of holidays to Europe and Christmases were still fun but it was always at the back of my mind that the expiration date was going to be sooner than any of us wanted. About 6 months ago she started taking a bit of a turn and then 2 months ago started deteriorating really fast.

We were at her bedside every day in the last couple of weeks and she eventually passed away in her sleep 2 weeks ago with myself, Dad and my little brother and sister at her bedside. She would've been 60 on Tuesday.

It's a relief in someways because I know she was really suffering in the last few months and didn't want to be here in the last few weeks but she always put on a brave face for us.

It's the funeral tomorrow and right now I'm just sipping on a whisky putting the finishing touches on my speech. I don't normally have a problem with public speaking, I do presentations at work and I've done a best mans speech but I think it's gonna be tough to hold back the tears tomorrow.

My brothers doing a bit of an emotional speech so Iv'e tried to make mine a bit more light hearted and just focused on good memories.

Anyone else ever had to speak at a funeral?

Sorry to hear about that. Cancer is awful. It runs in my family, and I have lost some relatives to it. I really hope we find a solution to cancer, through genetic engineering, in our lifetimes.

I have never had to speak at a funeral. I too have had to give presentations at work (and many in college), but I absolutely hate speaking to a crowd. Not my thing.

 

[Plissken]

Did so at my dad's, I'm not a public speaker, heck not even a private one, but somehow it came out without a hitch; I'm sure you made her proud.

 

[wlu.29]

Condolences and good luck


I like you taking the levity route

 

[cmw43]

sorry,. how did it all go?

It went as well as could be expected. I managed to hold it together until after I'd given my speech, my bro started getting teary during his but did a good reading.

The church was full and it was a good service, I think she would have approved. We told people not to wear black and not to buy flowers because we were doing a collection for the Hospice Charity that cared for her in her final weeks.

It was nice to meet everyone afterwards, especially people I'd heard about for years but never met like her work colleagues and share nice memories.

This is what I said:

Finding the words for my speech today was one of the harder things I've had to do. I'd just like to take a moment to thank the outpouring of support we've received from family and friends over the last days, weeks, months and years. The calls, letters, texts, meals and shared memories has been truly remarkable and just goes to show what an impact Mum had on people and what a great community of friends and family we have.

I know this a sad occasion but I don't want this day to be too downbeat, Mum would want us to be celebrating her life today.

She was one of the most positive people I knew and she always put every one else before her self... except when it came to cakes then you better not have touched her slice.

I think between my self and my siblings we all took different qualities from Mum. Adam took her perfectionism, Jenny her organisation skills and me, I surprisingly ended up loving gardening... And being scared of wasps.

I've got so many fantastic memories of Mum over the years so it was hard to narrow it down to just a few mentions, there was my 8th birthday where she handmade uniforms for my GI Joe themed birthday, my first day of nursery where I cried when she left and she told me to be brave .. to my first day of uni where she cried when I left her. After dropping me off at what her and Dad called my "Prisoner Cell Block H" style accommodation she immediately got on the phone to the University to demand they move me somewhere better. I remember her just doing the families ironing on a Sunday night listening to George Michael and Take That on repeat, I don't know how she never got tired of those songs. There was the best part of a decade she spent with a few other people from this room today doing fundraising for the "Kids at Play" play park in the village, I think I was about 8 when they started... and 18 by the time it was finished but she never gave up.

She's going to leave a big space in all our hearts but I know she'd want us to think of all the good times today and try and have smiles on our faces.

Thank you.

 

[fallable]

My best wishes for your mom and to your family.

 

[cobrinski]

i'm sorry bro.Stay strong

 

[llperez22]

sorry for your loss. im such a mommas boy i get a little moisture build up in my eyes just reading threads like this and imagining myself in your position. Be strong and best of luck

 

[HunterIII]

Sorry for your loss sherbro. Good luck

 

[SMYD]

Someone once told me, you talk to the deceased because it'll be the last time with them rather than talking of them to the crowd.