How to Find the Right Sympathy Messages to Express Your Sympathy
When someone close to you has passed away, you may have difficulty composing just the right sympathy messages to express your sympathy and support. Additionally, the extreme sorrow you may be personally feeling can serve to make the task even harder. These factors, combined with the gravity of the situation, may make any words you write seem shallow, inadequate, or even empty. You will tend to be overcritical of the words you write. Resist this urge. Just write what you feel – write from your heart. Any efforts you make to support the grieving family will undoubtedly be remembered and appreciated by them for years to come.
Use Online and Written Resources if You Are Having Trouble with Your Sympathy Messages
Getting started writing sympathy messages is the hardest part. A good solution to this is to search online for examples of sympathy messages. Personally, I like to thumb through books to find novel ideas for sympathy messages. While I have not seen a book specifically filled with sympathy messages, there are books of greeting card phrases which do have sections or chapters dedicated to sympathy messages. Books like this are difficult to find but there are some good ones out there.
And even if the book is a book of ready-to-use phrases (like Words to the Rescue) I generally like to use the phrases I find as inspiration for the sentiments I really want to write.
Check out the resource box at the end of this article for specific information on this subject.
To Make Them More Genuine, Always Personalize Your Sympathy Messages
Keep in mind that you are sending sympathy messages to show your personal support for the family of the deceased. Your choice of words should reflect this purpose. If your words sound like “off-the-shelf” or “form letter” words, they will be less well-received. The key is to personalize your sympathy messages. Add personal stories, incidents and anecdotes about the deceased. Mention some of their personal traits, qualities or habits. Remember, at times like this, you are expressing feelings that you feel. You are showing support for the family. But, ultimately – it’s all about the deceased. Take care to honor them properly.
True Friends Continue Their Support as Long as it is Needed
If you are close to the family of the deceased, don’t let your words of condolence be a one-time event. Continue to communicate with them on a regular basis. Use all appropriate channels of communication. They might appreciate an occasional phone call, a visit – or possibly even the occasional email. You can be certain that their grief will linger on long after the funeral is over.
Sympathy Messages – Don’t Shy Away
Writing sympathy messages can be a difficult and distasteful task. We may feel like avoiding the task altogether but, if we consider ourselves to be a true friend, we will follow through and do the best job we can. As I mentioned earlier, when we are stuck for the proper words, the best thing we can do is to find help in the form of a website or a helpful reference book. A good resource such as this can make our lives so much easier.
One of my favorite handy resources for helping me write sympathy messages, birthday cards, floral cards – greetings of any kind – is a book called Words to the Rescue. It’s great for composing sympathy messages or any kind of cards. With more than 1000 phrases and sentiments to choose from, it will be a great resource for years to come.
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