I have spoken to the family of the young man who committed suicide and have written a eulogy (yet to be edited properly). The family did not chose to include the poem I listed in yesterdy's blog, but chose other words which we offered.
To his friends, this man was known by the name "Bear". After writing a brief history of his life, I was unsure of how to end the eulogy and have come up with what follows. I am not certain that these are the words that will be used. There are still a couple of days before the funeral is to take place. But I will share the eulogy endng with you here: Bear went through some hard times. He had an injury which put him ‘out of action’ so to speak, for a time and which, together with his undiagnosed depression, made life difficult for him. He may have seemed boisterous and cheerful on the outside to many, but that was not how things were “on the inside”. He was a brave man, no matter what; it was different sort of courage that he possessed. Bear may have been a big man, who could even (at times) look a bit scary, with his height - and his tats - and his loud swearing voice, but he had a massive big heart; much of which he shared with his friends. And it is this heart and all it contained and all the friendship that Bear offered so freely that will be the thing that is remembered about this man who has left us to wonder. Perhaps nobody realised how difficult things were for him. And so, although we may feel hurt and sad – and even angry, perhaps a slight feeling of guilt or even some sense of blame, we also think today of a life that is to be celebrated. A good life, which, in its ending makes us feel somewhat diminished. Sir Walter Scott is quoted as asking, “Is death the last sleep?” and he answers, “No, it is the final awakening." Let us hope that Bear has been awoken to peace at last.
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Author notesI choose to comment on social issues and write creatively on a variety of subjects - for a variety of audiences.
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