Writing a beautiful eulogy for your mother can take some time and patience, but it is such a special way to honor her life. Using tips and guidelines for writing a eulogy for your mother can help make the process a bit easier to manage.
What Do You Say in a Eulogy for Your Mother?
Short eulogy examples can be used as a template to help you get started, pick a general theme, and figure out what tone works best for your style. Keep in mind if you're not a fan of public speaking, it's a good idea to keep your speech on the shorter side, as emotions may run high on the day of the funeral, memorial, or celebration of life service. A eulogy should start by introducing yourself and then end with final thoughts about your mom. Fill in the middle with information personalized your mom, her life, and your relationship.
Eulogy for Mother With a Degenerative Illness
If your mother passed away due to a degenerative illness such as dementia or cancer, you may or may not wish to include information about her experience with this illness in your speech. If you would like to include information abut your mother's experience with a degenerative illness, you may mention it briefly after the introduction, or before closing, but be sure not to solely focus on this. Examples include:
- "As many of you know, (insert deceased individual's name) was diagnosed with (insert illness) back in (insert date). Despite this diagnosis, her passion for life and her contagious curiosity was no different. She was and will continue to be an inspiration to us all for living life to the fullest and not letting anything get in her way."
- "(Insert deceased individual's name) kept her diagnosis of (insert name of illness) quite private. She never wanted to burden anyone with feeling like they had to take care of her, especially on her more challenging days. Her selflessness didn't just show up after her diagnosis- she has been this way her whole life, putting others first and wanting to be her family and friends' rock."
Eulogy for Mother With Mental Health Disorder
Similar to a eulogy for a mother who had a degenerative illness, it is up to you to decide whether you'd like to disclose your mother's mental health diagnosis. Be sure if you do include the diagnosis, that it is there for a purpose, not just to mention it. Examples include:
- "As some of you may know, (insert deceased individual's name) had a diagnosis of (insert diagnosis). Despite the challenges that this diagnosis created for her, she always persevered and continued to show her family that prioritizing self-care and mental wellbeing are significant aspects of creating a happy life. I will always hear her voice when it's time for me to check in with my own emotional well-being.We honor her memory today and every day."
- "My mom has had a diagnosis of (insert diagnosis) for as long as I can remember. Even though this has brought significant challenges her way, she always prioritized taking care of herself so she could be there for her family. Looking back, I am only now beginning to understand just how much she had to overcome to be the mother she was to us."
After mentioning the diagnosis, you can go into a more detailed story that illustrates who your mother was as a person. Personal anecdotes make a eulogy speech that much more meaningful and special.
Religious Eulogy for Mother
If your mother practiced a certain religion, or had a religious saying that was meaningful to her, you can consider adding it to your eulogy speech. You can do so by weaving in the saying or certain beliefs into the overarching theme of your speech. Examples of religious eulogies include:
- "(Insert deceased individual's name) lived her life with a passion for love and acceptance of all people. She often would say (insert religious belief or saying) and she exemplified this by (insert specific example of her doing so). I am so grateful to have had her as such an incredible example of kindness, honesty, and strength."
- "Religion has always been a huge part of (insert deceased individual's name) life. When any of us were experiencing a difficult moment in life, she tended to say, (insert religious saying). Through this saying, she taught us about strength and believing in ourselves."
Eulogy for a Difficult Mother
If you had an estranged or strained relationship with your mother, you will still be able to give a beautiful eulogy speech if you feel comfortable doing so. Try to focus on the positive characteristics of her and/or obstacles that she overcame. While you don't need to delve into the nitty gritty of your relationship, you can still capture positive aspects of her spirit in your words. You can consider saying:
- "While my mother and I didn't have the closest relationship, I always admired her belief in herself and her ability to prioritize her needs. (Insert deceased individual's name) overcame a lot of hardship and poured herself into becoming who she wanted to be. I am grateful for the time we spent together."
- "As many of you are aware of, my mother and I weren't as close as I wished we had been. Although we had our differences, I learned some incredible lessons from her about patience, strength, and respect. (Insert deceased individual's name) experienced many challenges in life and faced them head on with incredible strength and determination."
If you are struggling to come up with positive attributes, you can focus on her life chronologically and mention relationships that were important to her, her accomplishments, her hobbies, and her career.
Eulogy From a Son or Daughter
A eulogy written by a mother's son or daughter can be such a special tribute. An example of a eulogy from a son or daughter:
- "(Insert deceased individual's name) was the kindest, most loving person I've ever known. She mothered everyone, so much so that friends would often call her mom. She took this as a compliment and never shied away from being there for others who needed support in one way or another. As her (daughter or son), I feel like I grew up with the most incredible role model who taught me to always be myself and to always push myself to learn more. I will miss her smile, her laugh, her sage advice, and her bubbly personality. I know all of us will miss her famous chocolate cake. Thank you again for being her today to honor her memory. She loved all of you and her memory will live on in all of us."
Eulogy for a Mother-in-Law
Examples of speeches for a mother-in-law include:
- "There's a misconception that your in-laws are going to be trouble. That couldn't be further from the truth when it came to (insert deceased individual's name). She welcomed me with open arms and I grew fond of her extremely early on in our relationship. We ended up bonding over our love of animals and would spend our time hiking with our dogs and volunteering at local shelters together. While I don't feel ready to say goodbye, I know how lucky I am to have known her for the limited amount of time that I did. I miss her and so wish I got the privilege of spending more time with her."
- "(Insert deceased individual's name) was a kind, free-spirited individual who loved to sing, dance, and cook amazing meals. She had a passion for many things, but most of all she had a passion for being a mom. I've watched her for the last several years be the most incredible mom to her children and when I came into the picture, she made an effort to make me feel welcome in her family right away. I have learned so many lessons from her about following your dreams and loving with all of your heart. I will miss her incredible presence and feel honored to be a part of her family."
Eulogy for a Step Mom
Eulogy examples for a step mom include:
- "While we weren't technically related, I always felt like (insert deceased individual's name) was an incredible mother figure for me and my siblings. She was kind, soft-spoken, and had a deep love of reading. She loved to sit around and chat with us, always curious about not only our days, but our hopes and dreams. She was my guiding light through challenging moments and I will forever miss her gentle spirit."
- "(Insert deceased individual's name) didn't come into my life until I was an adult, but I'm so happy she did. She was an incredible person who made a tremendous effort to get to know our family and seemed to fit in perfectly. She always made us laugh and was quick to offer support during difficult times. Her love of music was contagious, and she was constantly composing the most beautiful songs. I will miss her every day, but I feel so lucky to have had time with her."
How to Write a Eulogy for Your Mother
Writing a eulogy can feel like an overwhelming task for some individuals and can feel even more difficult during the process of grieving. Before you begin writing the tribute for your mother, pick a time when you feel motivated to write, instead of forcing yourself to do so when you aren't feeling up to it. Keep in mind that you can ask for help writing the eulogy from friends, family members, as well as the funeral director if you get stuck.
What Should Be Included in Your Mom's Eulogy?
Eulogies will vary based on a number of factors. In general, information in the eulogy should include mentioning your mother's close friends and family, her personality, her impact on your life, and special milestones. You can also add in a meaningful anecdote or special poem to honor your mom, too.
Coping With Grief When Writing
While writing and giving the eulogy speech may help a bit with closure, the grieving process is incredibly unique and complex. Whether you had an amazing relationship with your mom, an estranged one, or a complicated one, grief can still show up and may continue to do so for months to years after the passing. Find healthy ways to cope with your grief and reach out for help immediately if you are struggling with acts of daily living and/or are having thoughts of harming yourself or others.
How Do I Write a Tribute to My Mother?
Writing a eulogy is a beautiful way to honor your mother at her funeral. Take your time as you write the eulogy and know that whatever you say in your speech will be enough.
