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Sample Words of Sympathy for all Situations

It can be very difficult to find the right words of sympathy and encouragement when someone you love has suffered a loss. We hope that these pages will help you to give comfort and support to the bereaved and to those suffering other kinds of loss too. We will help you find words to express sympathy which will be positive and helpful, and treasured for years to come by those who receive them.

When families are grieving it is a huge comfort to get cards and letters, messages and flowers so that they know that family, friends, neighbours and work colleagues are also missing their loved one.

Words of condolence can be of great solace to those who are grieving. Just knowing that someone is thinking about them is a comfort.

A sympathy card with Deepest Sympathy is welcome from an acquaintance. Nothing more is necessary if you were not well known to the family, but it is appreciated all the same, as they know that you have been thinking about them.

If you knew the person who died or the family well, then a longer message or letter is a lovely thing to send. 

With Deepest Sympathy Card with Cream OrchidBuy Card

So What Do You Say in a Sympathy Letter,  Note or Card?

Have a look at the following pages to get some ideas for what to put and how to express yourself. It doesn’t matter how short your communication is, the main thing is to write from the heart.

Say what you feel and what you are thinking. Don’t worry if you think your words might provoke tears – they are healing.

Sympathy cards give comfort long after the funeral

Bear in mind that often it can be weeks later before these messages are read again. The shock and numbness at first means that concentration levels in the bereaved are low, and they may not take in what you have written in the early days.

A quiet moment weeks later is often when all those letters and cards will be read again in detail. So the support and comfort from them goes on. It is a good therapy for the grieving person to digest all the messages later on. 





We have designed our own range of sympathy cards and you will be supporting this site if you get your cards from us at the GriefandSympathy Card Store.
Death leaves a heartache no-one can heal - sympathy card with quote

SOME GENERAL ADVICE ABOUT WRITING SYMPATHY MESSAGES

Write a Sympathy Note  - Ideas for writing words of sympathy in messages and notes of condolence.

Tips for Writing Different Types of Sympathy Messages 

Sample letters,  notes and messages

Sample Sympathy Messages for: 

Writing Funeral Condolences to be Read Out in the Service - some snippets from actual funeral messages you can use.

10 Beautiful Messages for Funeral Flowers

Sample Sympathy Letters on the Loss of a Mother or Father 

Sample Condolences for the Loss of a Husband or Wife 

Sample Sympathy Messages on the Loss of Grandparents

Sympathy Card Messages for the Loss of a Child

Sample Sympathy Messages Book - Containing All Our Messages and Lots More

Sample Messages for Pet Loss

Quotes and Phrases

Sympathy Card Wording - Short Phrases and Quotes

Baby Loss Quotes for Loss of Child, Stillbirth or Miscarriage

Condolence Phrases for Sympathy Cards and Flowers

33 Inspiring Grief Quotes and Memes

A Wide Selection of Moving Grief Quotes from Literature

Some More Unusual Quotes about Grief

Comforting Quotes about Death and Loss

Thank You Messages

Sample Condolence Thank You Notes

Funeral Thank You Messages 

May the Peace that comes from the memories of love shared comfort you now and in the days ahead - Sympathy Card Orange SunriseClick Here to Buy

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

It’s not just about the words of course. If you promise to phone, take round a casserole, or take care of the kids, then go through with it. And don’t forget to keep checking up on the person, weeks and even months after the loss.

Have a look at my page on helping others cope with grief for more advice.

Check out Sympathy vs Empathy too for more ideas on how to give compassion.  

Don’t forget that divorce and separation are very stressful losses too.

If you have any friends who are going through divorce or separation, drop them a line to tell them that you thinking about them and hope to meet up soon. Give them a ring for a chat. This is a grief and loss situation too but they get far less support, and few people think to write them a few words of condolence.

Deepest Sympathy Card with Pink FlowerBuy Card Now
Pink Sympathy Flower BasketSend Beautiful Sympathy Flowers Here

Send a Sympathy Gift Too

Peace Basket

7 Best Sympathy Gifts to Show You Care

7 Best Sympathy Gift Baskets

Memorial Jewelry and Keepsakes

For USA Residents: 

Please help our colleagues at Yeshiva University, USA by joining in their research study:



SUPPORT FOR BEREAVED PARENTS

Parent Support Study Logo

Losing a child to cancer is devastating, and there is a critical need to develop effective supports.

A federally-funded study in the United States (US) evaluating different types of support for bereaved parents is currently seeking participants. Parents residing in the US may be eligible if they lost a child diagnosed with cancer at least 6 months ago and live in one of the following states: NY, NJ, PA, CT, FL, or TN (other eligible states are being added, please complete the survey to check with us).

To find out if you may be eligible, please click here, visit our website at bereavedparentsupportstudy.com, or email us at parentstudy@mskcc.org.

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Our free downloadable and printable document "The 10 Most Important Things You Can Do To Survive Your Grief And Get On With Life" will help you to be positive day to day.  

The 10 points are laid out like a poem on two pretty pages which you can pin on your fridge door to help you every day! 

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Grief and Sympathy


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