You got the saddest news that one of your close friends has passed away! Unfortunately, you’re stuck in some work miles away that neither you can attend the funeral nor visit the deceased’s family for some time. But you want to offer condolences to the grieving family. Understanding your situation, Michael Scarpaci, co-owner of Scarpaci funeral home in Staten Island, suggests writing a condolence letter.
Writing a condolence letter is a simple gesture to express your sympathy to the deceased family members. And tell them they are not alone in this difficult phase. You are there to support them at any time. However, if you have never written a condolence letter before, it could be a bit difficult to determine how to write a sympathy or condolence letter.
Although you can easily pick up a sympathy card from the local card shop, using your personal, heartfelt words to write a letter provides a more meaningful tribute to the deceased. It conveys that both the deceased and grieving family are important to you. Knowing that you took the time to write a letter on your own will offer more comfort to the grieving family as compared to any mass-produced sympathy cards.
If you’re looking for guidance on writing a condolence letter, below are some of the tips given by Michael Scarpaci.
Guidelines to write a condolence letter by Michael Scarpaci.
Well, a condolence letter includes 7 components, and each component is explained below!
- Acknowledge the loss and do mention the name of the deceased – Make sure you directly talk about the loss in a condolence letter, instead of dancing around here and there. This means you should never avoid the fact that somebody has passed away while writing a letter. Well, there are many reasons to refer to the name of the deceased that will help grieving individuals during this painful situation. Another important thing, never use a euphemism for death because the receiver already knows why you’re writing a condolence letter.
- Express your sympathy – Once you acknowledged the loss, the next thing you need in a condolence letter is expressing your sympathy.
- Mention special qualities of the deceased – Another important component of a letter is mentioning one or more special qualities of the deceased that you’re familiar with.
- You can also add your favorite memory of the deceased in the letter
- Remind the grieving family about the deceased’s personal strengths and good qualities.
- Offer support in a specific way – You might have often heard people saying “Let me know if I can help” at a funeral. But this is one of the many things that people should avoid saying to the bereaved. Instead, you can offer a more practical thing that you can help with.
- Conclude the letter with a sympathy expression – To end a condolence letter, you can include “I will always be here to support you” or “You are in my thoughts.” Don’t use the one-word endings, like “Love,” “Sincerely,” and “Fondly, “ as these words aren’t quite personal.
Remember these tips are just a guide that you can use to write a condolence or sympathy letter. In the end, it will be your relationship with the deceased and the grieving family that helps you determine what to write in a condolence letter.
Read More Michael Scarpaci Profiles | Facebook
Michael Scarpaci 