Christine Collins

“Commemorative Speech”
Topic – The topic is a commemorative speech.
Specific Purpose – The purpose of me giving this speech is to inspire you, the audience, and to
make you think about a certain person from a different perspective.
Thesis Statement – By giving this speech, I hope to inform you about a certain person, and that
you will take away some new knowledge about this person.

Introduction
 Amelia was an amazing person; went to the same elementary, middle, and high school
 We blossomed together like flowers as we grew older
 As much as we tried, we started to drift apart
o The summer she went away changed everything
o Her parents weren’t extremely wealthy, but they wanted to give her as much as
they could
 Something I admired about Amelia was her ability to turn any situation around
o Like many people, unfortunately, Amelia was bullied in school
o They called her, Amelia Bedelia (visual here)
o However, she did not let it bother her; she embraced it

Body
 The summer before Junior year, Amelia went to Paris, France
 Naturally, she found a boy while travelling in Paris, and they kept in touch
o Now, of course, me, the best friend, and him, the new boyfriend were not always
on the best of terms
o We (me and the boy) did not always see eye to eye
 I wanted to look out for her best interests, and everyone knew what his
interests were
 At this point, we had known each other for 11 years
 A time of difficulty arose
o Right before she left for Paris, I was over her house, saying goodbye
 I knew she was going to be back after summer was over, so I don’t know why I was
worrying
o Something just didn’t feel right; I had a lingering, pestering feeling that there was
something wrong
 Very early the next morning, I wanted to see her off, so I snuck over through her
bedroom window, which is conveniently placed on the first floor of the house
o She was still asleep; I felt bad because I knew that she had been up all night
packing for her trip
o I spotted a note on her desk
  At first, I thought that it was going to be a suicide note
 I apprehensively picked up the note and read it over slowly to myself
 She explained how she had leukemia
 I never had any idea; even though I spent so much time with her, I could
never tell that there was anything wrong
 Initially, I was upset that she did not tell me
 After reading the letter extremely carefully, I felt a little bit guilty at first
for snooping around
 I knew that she meant for me to see that letter, though, I mean, are
you really someone’s best friend if you haven’t snooped through
their stuff
 No surprise, it took me a few seconds to realize what I had just read
 It turns out, that vacation to Paris was one last trip for her to enjoy before
her final days

Conclusion
 Sometimes, I forget that she is really gone, because I feel her with me all the time
o Her unwavering loyalty was one of her best qualities
o Her bravery and courage continue to linger with me
o Her strength and continue to linger with me
o Her ability to make any situation positive continues to linger with me
 She is an example, every day, that platonic love knows no limits
 Thank the audience