Finding Just the Right Sympathy Messages to Express Your Support

When someone close has passed away, you may experience some difficulty and awkwardness composing just the right sympathy messages to express the things you truly want to say. Additionally, the personal sorrow you may be feeling at this time may serve to make this unpleasant task even harder. These factors, combined with the solemnity of the situation, may make any words you write seem shallow or even empty. You will have a tendency to be overcritical of your ability and of the words you write. Resist this urge. Simply write what you feel – write from your heart. Write as you would speak. Just making the effort to support the grieving family will undoubtedly be remembered and appreciated by them for years to come.

Use Online and Written Resources to Improve Your Sympathy Messages

As you face the dauting task of writing sympathy messages, you may find that getting started is the hardest part. That's only normal. A great way to get past this obstacle is to search online for examples of sympathy messages. Personally, I like to search through books to find ideas for sympathy messages. While I have yet to see a book specifically filled with sympathy messages, there are books of greeting card phrases with chapters dedicated to sympathy messages. Books like this can be hard to find but rest assured, they do exist. Check out the links at the end of this article for specific information on this subject.

Personalize Your Sympathy Messages - Always

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. 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.

Be a Friend - Continue Your Support Long 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 Can be Mastered

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.

For more info, check out these two videos:
(YouTube version) Sympathy Messages or (MetaCafe Version) Sympathy Messages
(YouTube version) Sympathy Messages Samples or (MetaCafe Version) Sympathy Messages Samples

See another blog post on sympathy messages