Write that Eulogy by Veronika Sophia Robinson (published by Starflower Press) has been reviewed by celebrant Hazel Stewart.
The funeral ceremony is part of the healing process, so the role of creating a ceremony script is an art which carries great responsibility, requiring tremendous sensitivity and empathy when working with people traumatized by the recent death of someone close. In Write that Eulogy by Veronika Sophia Robinson, Veronika demonstrates how to ‘gently walk into the memories they hold of the deceased life’, using her prodigious talent for extracting details from the chief mourner to craft a personalised and vibrant eulogy – no matter how sparse the material she is given to work with.
Veronika shares her own journey into the role of funeral celebrant, distilling the essence of her services, showing how she brings a profound passion for, and curiosity about, people’s stories into her storytelling practice. Her unique and refreshing writing style creates a truly special ceremony, and she recommends spending time getting to know your script intimately to allow you to deliver your ceremony imbued with an intimacy that gives the impression of knowing the deceased well, and that you are celebrating the life of an intimate friend. Veronika’s aim is to leave everyone feeling they learned something more about the deceased than they knew before, and for the congregation of mourners feel to uplifted by the quality and soul in the life story celebrated and paid tribute to.
There are exercises throughout the book to help every writer develop their writing skills, beginners and those with years of experience. Writing our own eulogy is a practice that allows us to connect profoundly to how wonderful crafting a life story can be. Veronika takes us through every step of creating a ceremony script, from taking notes at the interview with the chief mourner, to fact-checking, editing, officiating and ensuring inclusivity. Difficult deaths of all kinds are considered to prepare the novice celebrant for any eventuality.
If you didn’t train as a celebrant with Heart-led Ceremonies Celebrant Training, with trainers Veronika Sophia Robinson and Paul Robinson, then the next best thing is accessing the flair and creativity of Veronika’s training resources.
Write that Eulogy is an invaluable companion for every celebrant, whatever their experience. You can return to this collection of Veronika’s years of experience and wisdom, with useful and illuminating examples, each time you have a funeral ceremony to prepare and craft; this guide will help you lift your ceremonies from the ordinary to the extraordinary. As Veronika’s passion attests, it’s no more than every life richly deserves.
