How to Find Meaningful Words of Sympathy after a Loved One has Passed Away

When someone that you love has passed away, you have your own loss to grieve but that person’s family also may be experiencing a great deal of pain. You may be having difficulty in finding the right words to say, and anything that you do think of seem meaningless to you. You can always go to a web site like www.ObituariesHelp.org to find examples of sympathy words to express how you feel to a friend or loved one and to show that you care about them. Even as time helps to alleviate the pain of the loss, the right words of sympathy can always comfort the survivor.

If you are having trouble with organizing and getting started with your sympathy words, you can consult a web site like www.ObituariesHelp.org where you can find ideas for sympathy cards, sample phrases, and complete sample letters of sympathy. These letters can be used to formulate your own ideas and compose the sympathy letter that you have had in your mind. They can be particularly helpful if you are having writers’ block or some anxiety about what to write.

How to Show Support and Acknowledge Grief

You need to remember, however, that these letters are only examples, and that you should also be friendly and be yourself in your sympathy message. Sympathy words that provide emotional support, and friendship are what your loved one needs not empty words. Share a funny story or any memories you have of the deceased. By including these in your letter of sympathy, your words will express your own personality and make them something that can be treasured by your friend for many years.

You also need to acknowledge the grief of the recipient as they are finding the situation very difficult to fathom and do not know where to turn. Use simple words that honestly express your caring and show them that you are always there to help them at any time. Your sympathy words will show your love and support, even if they do not seem to be the perfect words to you.

Using Faith and Secular Sympathy Words

If the recipient of your message of sympathy is a religious person, then it might be suitable to include the deceased favorite passage in the Bible, if you know, or another relevant scripture like Psalm 23. Some find solace in their faith after a loss, and so you can offer your prayers if deemed appropriate. Your spiritual and emotional support is always appreciated.

If the recipient of your message is not religious, or you are not familiar with their specific religious beliefs, then a secular sympathy card may be more appropriate. Refrain from sharing your own religious beliefs and send a sympathy card that is comforting and friendly and will not alienate your friend while they are grieving.

How to Follow Up

If you know the surviving family members well, you might want to follow up a month or so after the funeral with more words of sympathy. This will be a time when the family will be beginning to rebuild their lives after the initial shock of death has begun to fade. Many other may be unsure of how to speak to the family and will lose touch. Sending a simple message of sympathy to let them know you are thinking of them and can always chat can offer a great deal of support. Grief does not end after a few weeks, and this gesture can mean a lot to the family.

These are some tips and guidelines that can be used to write words of sympathy that are personal and appropriate for the family and the situation. Use sources like www.ObituariesHelp.org to get started but make sure that your message is also personal. You can use a religious reference, and you should then follow up about a month after the funeral to show your love and support. These are tips that can help you to write the best letters of sympathy whenever they are needed.