Condolence Letter

Condolence letters are not easy to write. The purpose of a condolence letter is very sensitive. The language used in a condolence letter should be very sensible. It should not increase the sense of loss of the reader. Your letter should tell reader that you are sorry for the situation. Make him feel that you are there to help and support him. The content of a condolence letter depends on the relation of the addressee with the person who is dead. In case, a child the content would be very different. If an old person has died, the letter will carry different connotation. Death is the ultimate truth of life and it is our social and moral responsibility to console the person who is suffering the loss. Sometimes it is mere a formality but it is our duty to respect the feelings.

Grief is healed only by time. Letters and words can only comfort the person who is in grief. Letters can reduce the isolation of a person to a great extent. Condolence letters often act as a moral booster for the recipient.

If you are writing a condolence letter for the first time, the following things will surely help you.

Remember that a condolence letter will serve its purpose only if it is hand written. In some extreme cases you can type the letter. Do not exceed the length of the letter to more than one page.
Understand that the person who is already in grief does not like to be remembered about the death of the loved one. Do not mention, how you think that the loved one must have suffered before death. Specially, if the deceased was a child.
You can share a fond memory of the deceased and can write about the positive influence that the deceased person had in your life.
Let the sufferer know that you share his/ her grief. Do not share your own grief in your letter. This letter is not the correct place to do so.
Make the sufferer know that he/she has the strength of going through this bad phase. Provide him moral support as much possible. Reassure the person that it is not impossible to come out if the phase which seems to be never ending.
While writing a condolence letter for professional purpose, ensure that you know the name of the deceased person correctly. A wrong name will give a very wrong message.
Try to give a personal touch even if the condolence letter you are writing is professional. Be empathetic to the loss of the co worker.
Offering a generic help like "let me know if you need anything" will help the person. He will feel cared and reassured.
While closing the letter ensure the person once again about your concern about him. Tell him that he can tackle the dark phase of his life gracefully and that he is a strong person.
This might sound funny, but we feel the need to tell you that do not use colors while writing condolence letter. A letter with a black ink is good enough to convey your feelings.
There is no need to make your letter stylish. It is not the presentation of the letter that matters but the content which can change someone's life

See more types of condolence letters :