It’s never easy to say goodbye to someone who has been a part of our lives. When that person is gone, there’s a hole where (he or she) used to be in your life. That’s what many of us are feeling today.
Some of you knew ______ (name) better than others, but you’re here because (he or she) had an impact on your life, and you want to honor that. And because (he or she) did affect you in some way, it’s not going to be easy to say goodbye.
At such a difficult time, it’s important to remember the good memories we all have of _______ (name). By holding on to those memories, we can focus on the good times we had together, and help each other find comfort in this difficult time.
Some of you may remember when _______ (name) was _______ (share a short story about the person such as a childhood memory; be sure to keep it positive). Or perhaps others of you recall _______ (share another positive story from the person\’s life).
Even as a child, _______ (name) made a difference in people’s lives. (Share a brief story about the person’s childhood that shows that he or she had an impact on someone, even in a small way. Be sure to keep it positive.)
_______ (name) was always _______ (list a positive quality about the person such as an honest person, a good listener, a great cook, et cetera). (He or She) always _______ (explain how that positive characteristic affected the person’s life, such as he or she had the best green bean casserole at Thanksgiving). (He or she) was also _______ (list another positive quality about the person), which always came through when _______ (share how others could see this quality in the person).
And more than anything else, _______ (name) was _______ (name another positive quality that really defined who the person was, such as faithful, generous, a community volunteer, et cetera). I remember _______ (share a story about the person that expresses that quality, such as church involvement, donating time and money to charities, et cetera).
It’s hard to say goodbye to someone who had a big impact on our lives. It’s always hard to lose someone you know, to let go of (him or her), and move on. But if we keep those good memories in our hearts and minds, we can find comfort, and _______ (name) will always be with us.
Just by being here, you’re showing that _______ (name) had an impact on you. And that’s a great comfort to me to know that (he or she) touched other people’s lives in the same way (he or she) touched mine. And that’s how I’ll always remember _______ (name).
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