Words of Condolence to Write in a Letter for a Single Mother

You can read the following sample letter of a condolence letter for a single mother. After you read the example, review the section-by-section explanation of how to compose words of condolence letters for single mothers so you can compose a personal message.

Other words of condolence resources you might find helpful:

Dear Jenny,

I'm so overcome by the loss of your precious little one that I'm not even sure what to say. I can't begin to know the sorrow you must be feeling after you had been so excited at the prospect of becoming a mother.

I remember how much you anticipated the day you would hold your little bundle of joy in your arms. We never knew that it would be for such a short time. I shared the excitement and challenges of each step of your pregnancy with you as you faced each day alone as a single mother. You knew the struggles that lay ahead in being both mother and father and yet the joy and excitement outweighed all of that. And the day you welcomed your precious baby into the world was by far the greatest day of your life. Nothing can replace that memory; not even death.

Know that I am grieving with you and will be here for you in the sadness of death just as I was in the excitement of life. I will be by your side so that you don't have to face this alone. I will call you and stop by in the next day or two. I wanted to give you a moment to deal with your grief in private before offering you my shoulder to cry on.

May God comfort you in these dark days.

Sincerely,

Robin

Before You Begin - Rules of Etiquette to Consider

Keep your letter short but thoughtful
Try to mention a special memory of the pregnancy and time spent with the baby if you have one
Respect religious beliefs. Some people may believe in reincarnation rather than heaven, or they may be atheists. Whatever their belief, they still deserve sympathy.
Sign with a full name (first and surname). This is good etiquette as there may be other relatives or friends with the same first name as you.
Do not offer financial help
Do offer to help in other ways such as offering to cook a nice meal for the surviving family members, or helping with chores.

Begin With an Appropriate Greeting

Letters of sympathy and condolences are personal, and so first mention the name of the person you are writing to. Depending on how close you are with the single mother some of the ways you can do that are:

Dear _______,
My Dear Friend _______,
Dearest _______,
Dear Mrs. _______,

What to Say First in Words of Condolence Letters for a Neighbor

Coming up with the right words to include in your own letter can be a challenging task. Just write from the heart so that your letter reflects the nature of your relationship with the bereaved.

In our letter we began with:

Other appropriate opening sentences for this type of letter include:

Words seem so inadequate to express my feelings during this time. Just know that my prayers are with you as you deal with this devastating loss.

We are so sorry for this grave loss. I hope you can feel the thoughts and prayers being sent your way and that they give you strength.

I want to express my deepest sympathies for you in this difficult time. Just know that you are not alone and that we are grieving with you.

How quickly such wonderful joy can be turned into the deepest sorrow. I can't begin to imagine how you must be feeling at this moment, but know that you are not alone.

We wanted to express our most sincere condolences to you at this time. We know how excited you were to be a mother and share in the grief of your tragic loss.

Mention a Special Memory of the Mother With Her Infant

While the single mother may be overcome with the loss of her infant, mentioning a special memory when writing words of condolence letters for a single mother can provide a measure of comfort by reminding her of happy times. We did this in the letter above to show support. Here are some other ways to do this:

I know how much you looked forward to becoming a mother even though you would be doing it as the only parent. You were so excited about what the future held and often talked about plans you had. Though I only saw pictures of your baby, I knew that he was special.
It has been such a long time since we've seen each other, but I've never forgotten your desire to have a child of your own. All of those afternoons we spent playing and you were always the mother. I knew that you would make the best mother, and father, as the case was. Know that even though I can't say I understand your sorrow, I share it with you.
While you have been a wonderful co-worker, I knew you would make an even better mother. You were so excited about having a baby and never once complained about feeling bad even though you had struggles that other parents don't know about. Though we have only spent time together in the office, I treasure you as a friend and share in your grief.

You Can Offer Help in a Words of Condolences Letter for a Single Mother

Some suggestions are:

I'll be bringing over several meals that you can keep in the freezer. Just heat them up as you need them so you don't have to worry about cooking.
I've been attending support meetings since I lost ______. I'll call you before the next one to see if you would like to come with me.
I have _____ and ______off from work, so I'll call you and arrange a visit on whichever day suits you best.
I'll call you in a couple of days so we can go to lunch.

Close with an Appropriate Sentiment

We closed our letter with:

May God comfort you in these dark days.

Use these last words to end the letter in a comforting way. Some other phrases to use in words of condolence letters for a single mother include:

With hope that it helps you to know we care.
With sincere and heartfelt sympathy.
Know you are not alone.
Know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.
With our deepest and heartfelt condolences.

Don’t Make These Common Spelling Mistakes

Makes sure you avoid these common spelling mistakes if choosing your own words for any in our sample words of condolence letters for a single mother.

Condolense
Condolesens
Simpathy
Simpathie
Preyers
Simpothy
Simpothie

Condolence Messages for a Distant Relative

If you choose to send a text or email message rather than a letter of condolence for a single mother, you can include the same sentiments. It is appropriate to make it shorter than a traditional letter, especially for a text or social media message. Here are some examples that you can use.

Words cannot express how sorry I am for your loss. Please know you and your family are in my thoughts.

I heard the devastating news from ______. I want to extend my condolences to you and let you know that you are in my prayers.

I just heard about your loss. I want to offer my sincere sympathies to you in this time.

You can send one of these messages to provide immediate comfort and then send a traditional letter at a later time if you feel it is appropriate.

Condolence Cards for a Single Mother

If you are sending flowers or another gift to the bereaved, you may wonder what to put on a card to offer sympathy. Here are a few ideas that you can use for your own condolence cards for a single mother:

May these flowers serve as an expression of my sympathy for you.
Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers during this time.
May these flowers show you how much we care.
Know that you are not alone.
We are praying for you.

Words of Condolence Quotes

"Grief is the price we pay for love." Queen Elizabeth II

"Perhaps they are not stars but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones shines down to let us know they are happy." Eskimo Legend

"The song is ended, but the melody lingers on." Irving Berlin