How to Write a Condolence Letter

Posted on September 19, 2022 by Langeland Sterenberg Yntema Funeral Homes under Funeral Home
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funeral homes in Hamilton, MI

Seeing someone you love going through a mourning period is difficult. You may not be sure of how to help and you may feel like there is not much you can do to offer your condolences and sympathies. One of the things that you can do is write a letter of condolence. These letters let people know that you are thinking of them and that you sympathize with what they are going through. If this is something you want to do but have never written one before, there are some things that directors of funeral homes in Hamilton, MI want you to remember.

If you do not know much about the process of writing letters of condolence, it is important to read examples so that you can get a good idea of what to expect. It can give you a sense of the tone it should have, how long it should be, and many other things. There are many sites online where you can see examples of sympathy letters so do consider that. 

You want to focus on the person’s grief. You want to let them person know that you are thinking about them and what they are going through. It can be tempting to say that you know exactly what they are going through or to tell them that you have gone through the same thing yourself. This can make the person feel like their grief is not as important and that is something you never want to let them feel. Keep that in mind as you write the letter and focus on them.

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When you start the letter, you want to mention the name of the deceased and acknowledge their passing. What you want to avoid doing, however, is mention the manner of the death, since this can be distressing for the family. Take the time to also let them know at once that you have them in your thoughts and that they have your sympathies. Keep in mind that you want to focus on them and not on what you are feeling about the death. 

Another thing you want to remember is to offer specific help. A person who is dealing with grief hesitates to accept help because they do not want to bother anyone. If you offer help that is vague, this will be even less likely. You want to mention specific help that you can offer. One great idea that more people are turning to is adding a gift certificate for a location that delivers food. This can ensure that the person does not have to worry about cooking meals.

As you get ready to write a letter of sympathy for a loved one, you will want to read examples and get some sense of what you can include. You want to be sure that you offer specific help and that you also let the person know you are keeping them in your thoughts. All of this can make a difference to a person who is grieving. To learn more about letters of sympathy, you can reach out to a Hamilton, MI funeral home like us. We have years of experience helping people with the services they need after a death, and we can help you, as well. You can give us a call right now or you can stop by one of our locations to get started.