LettersofSympathy

How to Write a Letter of Sympathy

Sometimes you want to or feel obligated to reach out to someone in trying times and attempt to sympathize with what they are going through. These are hard letters to write as you want to be personal and endearing without crossing any lines or saying something insincere. Here are some tips to help you write a good letter of sympathy.

-Put yourself in the other person's shoes. This may be hard to do but imagine that you are the person you are sending a sympathy card to. What would make you feel good if someone were to write you something?

-Do not write a "letter" letter. Try to keep it short. Express your sympathies and move on.

-Be intimate. Try to open up in the letter. Relate to what they are going through. Be specific about what you mean.

-Celebrate a person's life. If you are writing a letter of sympathy to someone who has lost a loved one, do not discuss the person's death. Celebrate their life and discuss the good memories that you have of the deceased.

-Encourage the person. Point out that you are sure they will get back on their feet soon or something to that extent.

-Offer your help. This can be something like asking the person if there is something that you can do or something more specific like running certain errands or looking after children, perhaps planning the funeral.

-If the person is religious, offer some faith. Talk about the great afterlife that the deceased is in if discussing death. Mention an inspirational quote from the Bible.

-Use quotes. Great people have said great things. What makes these things great is that you can use their words for situations like these.