Etiquette 101: How to write a Condolence Card or Letter

The Bones of a Sympathy Card or Letter

All sympathy cards and letters must be handwritten. No shortcuts. It must be personal, reflect your relationship with the deceased or survivor, and sympathetic.

Begin your letter with “Dear” and end with sincere sympathy.

Example:

My most sincere sympathy
With love and heartfelt sympathy for you and your family
My affection and thoughts are with you.

Make it short but thorough.

The bereft may not want to read a long, wordy document but would appreciate hearing from those who care and offer support.

Example:

Juan, I am deeply sorry for your loss. Even though I didn’t know your mother, I realize how much she meant to you. Your stories of her trips always brightened my day. Anything you need, just ask. I am here for you.

Offer of Help Option: Walker and I are dropping dinner off all week.

Connect with a memory.

Example:

Your mother was always kind to me. I remember when she coached me for my chemistry final in high school. If not for her, I may not be where I am today.

Grieving does not follow a timeline.

The bereaved may break down months to years from the actual date of death. If you are a friend or family member, be there when that person needs a hug and encourage talking about the loss. Most important: listen.

Please Read

Importance of Thank You Notes

Etiquette 101: Courtesy, Consideration, and Kindness Matters Even in the Darkest Days

Beware Sharing Too Much & Hurting Others on Social Networking Sites

Comments

Etiquette 101: Top Three Gum Chewing No-No’s

Smacking, Popping, Nauseating Behavior …Oh My! Gum chewing has been around for decades and for the most part, it’s inoffensive. However, there are those times when gum chewing, especially smacking, is frowned upon. Sometimes – strangely enough – it can even affect our future and how others view us. Read on to learn how. Not at a wedding! The wedding march begins as the bride walks the procession. Ah, the lovely bride in her flowing gown smiling at her soon-to-be spouse. All in the crowd stand as she floats down the aisle. At once, her expression changes, she stops, as her guests’ heads turn toward alien sounds coming from the front row. Smack, pop…yep, it’s the sounds of the ill-mannered gum chewer. Unfortunately, this scene is playing out every day somewhere in our lovely US of A. Why is this of importance? The simple answer is that the gum chewer’s smacking and popping d...

Etiquette 101: How-to Host an Adult Birthday Party That Will Please Your Guests

Birthday Party Etiquette Hosting an adult birthday party can be tricky since many don't realize it isn't a gift-giving event. If gifts are expected, the birthday baby could appear greedy. Imagine an adult birthday party resembling a child's party focusing on gifts--very silly, indeed. On the positive side, because gifts are not the focus, it opens up the possibility of hosting our own. This is a plus for those of us who view our friends as the best birthday present. Now we can have our cake and eat it too! To assist us with hosting a party that will be viewed as positive and polite, here's a bit of birthday party etiquette Q & A. Dear Polite One, I invited 30 people (15 couples) to a birthday party I'm hosting for a 45-year-old male. I designed the invitations to look like a ticket stub, which includes a door prize stub. My question is this: What are appropriate door prizes? What should be...

From an Etiquette Point of View: Royal Wedding/Reception Primer

I was asked to give my opinion quite often during the week leading up to the royal wedding. It was a wonderful experience for me, as I had to do quite a bit of research. I had forgotten so much due to the fact that I don’t use this information/material on a daily basis. What I found intrigued me. What follows is just a small sample of the history and protocol of the royals and their weddings/wedding breakfast. Royals Set Trends & Make History For one, royals tend to begin traditions, such as the white dress for brides. Queen Victoria wore white for her wedding with Prince Albert (in 1840). She also chose to include a sprig of myrtle in her bouquet because it represented true love. After her wedding, she planted a bush in her yard. A sprig of that same bush has been added to each British royal bride's bouquet since. Laying the bride's bouquet on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a tradition that...

The Polite One's Insights

Search This Blog