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Discover Instant Sympathy
or Condolence Letters - in 7 steps.
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Grieving
family
members often look forward to the arrival of mail during the first days
following the death of a loved one. They can receive great
comfort from reading engaging
and heartfelt letters and
notes acknowledging
their loss.
The best
condolence or sympathy letters are like conversations you would have to
the family, only in written form. The letters are usually handwritten,
under one page in length and are sent promptly. They can be
addressed
to the person in the family you feel the closest to, or to the family
as a whole. |
A
well chosen inspirational
quote or poem
which reminds
them of the special qualities of their loved
one, can be a special inclusion often treasured by the
family left
behind. Whilst commercial sympathy cards are also
appreciated, a hand written note of condolence
alongside heartfelt
sympathy poems shows that the
writer has taken time and some care to show they are thinking about the
family.
A
well
structured condolence or sympathy letter usually has 7 parts.
Step 1.
Acknowledge the Loss.
As a
starting point you need to acknowledge the loss.
Examples could be:
I
was sorry to
hear of your recent bereavement.
I
was very upset
to hear of your loss.
I wanted to write
and tell you how sorry I am for your loss.
I was so sorry to
hear about the tragic circumstances surrounding X's
death.
I was terribly
sorry to learn about the death of X.
I was saddened to
hear of X's death.
It was with a great
sense of loss that I learned of X's death.
I was so sad to
hear of X's sudden death.
I am writing on
behalf of all of X's friends to express our sympathy at
your sad loss.
Step 2. Express Your Sympathy.
Examples
could be:
Please
accept my
sympathy for your sad loss.
I
want to
express my heartfelt sympathy.
X was such a
special person that no words are adequate.
X was such a
special person and it must be so difficult to come to
terms with the fact he/she died so suddenly.
May it comfort you
to know that so many people care and are thinking of
you and your family at this time.
May the love of
family and friends comfort you.
There are no words
to express our heartfelt sympathy to you and your
family.
While there is
nothing I can say that will ease your loss, I wanted you
to know that I am grieving and thinking of you all.
Step 3. Note the
Special
Qualities of the Deceased.
Think about the special qualities you
admired or appreciated about the deceased. Examples could be:
X was such a
wonderful person, and so many people will miss her.
X was such a
creative person, and I am so sorry he/she has
died.
X was a valued
member of the team and contributed to the organization
in many ways.
Step 4. Recount a
Memory
About the Deceased.
You could
talk about how the deceased
touched your life or if appropriate a funny story may be included.
People tell me how
much they valued X's friendship.
X bought pleasure
to everyone he/she met and will be sadly missed.
He/she often spoke
of his/her family with affection.
Step 5. Offer
Assistance.
But don't make offers you can't fulfill.
If there is
anything I/we can do, I/we are only a phone call away.
I am always here to
talk if you would like. I'll get touch soon to see
if I can make myself useful in anyway.
If there is
anything I can do such as ??? please let me know.
Please call if
there is anything I can do.
Thursday is a free
day for me to come over and help.....
Step 6. Close with a
thoughtful word or phrase.
Our thoughts are
with you at this difficult time.
X will be sadly
missed by everyone at work.
May the love of
family and friends comfort you.
Step 7. The Ending
and
Sign Off.
With love and
sympathy,
Sincerely,
Your friend,
Love,
Affectionately
yours,
Yours,
Very sincerely
With my deepest
sympathy,
My fond respects to
you and yours.
If you are need
more support check out the instant condolence notes
and sympathy poem examples.
Other
articles
in this series
www.funeral-poems.com
By Andrea Miller
PS. If you are
after a software solution to letter writing, including
sympathy and condolence letters, then go to www.churchletters.net
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