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Condolence Letter Template
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What Is a Condolence Letter?
A Condolence Letter is an informal note sent to an individual who has recently lost a loved one - their spouse, partner, parent, child, or friend.
Alternate Name:
- Sympathy Letter.
A letter that eloquently expresses the sadness the writer has felt when they discovered about the passing, extends sympathy for the suffering of the grieving individual, contains a heart-warming story about the deceased person, and offers moral support at the most difficult time in the recipient's life will be the glimmer of hope the reader may desperately need.
How to Write a Condolence Letter?
Below are some tips that will let you draft a meaningful Letter of Condolence:
- Find a card in a store or create a handwritten letter. Do not resort to generic words - your letter should express real emotion and show your consideration.
- Prepare this letter quickly and deliver it promptly - there is a limited timeframe between the person's death and their funeral, and if you decide to help the family and friends financially, you only have several days to tell them about it.
- Acknowledge the death of the person and express your condolences.
- Tell the recipient of the letter what the deceased person meant to you personally. Whether you worked together, were neighbors or friends, or they were an acquaintance of yours, a short story that invokes a warm memory about the deceased person is a nice way to help the grieving relative or friend.
- When writing a Condolence Letter, speak directly to the individual you are writing to. The letter can be concise as long as it is thoughtful. Whether you know the addressee personally or you only knew the deceased person, show your real feelings in the letter, do not be afraid to seem too emotional.
- If you know for sure or even suspect the recipient of the letter may need your assistance with the funeral or their household, especially if you know the deceased person took care of the house or the family might struggle with burial costs, offer help to them. Still, it would be disrespectful to mention specific financial issues - if the recipient wants to get in touch with you, they will, as long as they have your promise to help them.
- Remind the addressee that you are willing to talk to them when it is convenient and support them in the difficult situation they find themselves in.
- End the letter by once again telling how sorry you are for their loss and signing the document. Even if you choose to type the letter instead of writing it, a handwritten signature is a must.
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