Courageous Eulogies

Author Michael McGirr writes:

“A funeral is … a call to courage often in the face of the temptation to falsehood or evasion.”

“We have all been to timid funerals where you leave wondering if the person being remembered is the person you knew.”

“I once sat in a church listening to at least eight eulogies for the same person. It was a sad day. The unfortunate man had taken his own life after years of chaos and confusion. Nobody had the courage to mention any of this. Instead, we heard one sugar-coated tale after another, funny stories about how he never had enough coins to put in a parking meter. Do not get me wrong. Laughter is healing and a funeral without it can also feel incomplete. But sugar gives a brief buzz and does not satisfy deep hunger. Everyone at a funeral knows what happened. It takes courage and sensitivity to say what needs to be said.”

Source: Michael McGirr , Brave New World: Courage and Caritas, p43-44.