Writing a short message in your sympathy card is a thoughtful way to extend your condolences from the heart. While some sympathy cards are sold already with a printed message of love and prayers, you might want to add your own message to personalize the entire gesture.
But, what exactly can you write as a condoling message in your sympathy card? How do you write a message that is personal but not necessarily intrusive? Listed below are some helpful tips before you start writing a personal note in your next sympathy card.
Some Essentials When Writing A Sympathy Card
- Express your condolences
You can start your message with a short expression of your sympathy. You may say, for example, “I am sorry for your loss” or “I am sending healing prayers to the entire family during this difficult time”. If you are sending the card to the family of your deceased friend or colleague, mentioning your connection to their family member is a good way to start your message.
- Share something positive about the person
In addition to expressing your sympathy, you can also share something good about the friend or colleague who has passed away. Their spouse, parents, sibling, or the entire family will appreciate your gesture, especially after knowing how their loved one has meant so much to others. If you have many memories with the deceased, pick one or two fond memories to share with the receiver of the card.
- Speak from the heart, but know what NOT to say
A heartfelt message of comfort will be appreciated kindly. However, expressing your comfort in a personal way can easily turn for the worse. This can happen once you put yourself too much in the picture, with words such as “I know how you feel”. As much as possible, you need to focus on giving comfort without having to sound patronizing or imposing.
- Express the desire to help
If you have the time and capacity to assist in this difficult time of loss, you may include an offer of help in your message. You can also be specific in your offer of help, if you are close to the card’s recipient. Some of the ways in which you can help include sending cooked meals to the family, picking the children up from school, or assisting with funeral arrangements.
Should You Write Long Messages in Your Sympathy Card?
This will depend on your personal preference and the extent of your relationship with the card’s recipient. Some people prefer writing long messages in general, regardless of the occasion. You may be very close to your grieving friend, moreover, and would like to offer words of comfort by way of a long letter. However, you have to be careful in your choice of words so as not to upset your friend in any way.
If you are writing out to the family of a deceased friend, and you are not necessarily close to them, it may be best to keep the personal message brief. Some sympathy cards also come with a printed message. If you feel that this message already suffices, you can keep your personal note short but sweet.
The Importance of Reaching Out in Sympathy
A little sympathy, especially during a dark and troubling time, could go a long way. But when it comes to expressing your comfort in words, it pays to choose your words carefully. After all, you would want your note of sympathy to be received well by a grieving friend or the entire family.
The Comfort Company brings you beautiful and comforting sympathy cards and other sympathy tokens. If you wish to view our selections of artistic and poetry-filled sympathy cards, click here.