Messages for Sympathy Cards in the Loss of a Friend

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Messages for Sympathy Cards:
Appropriate Choices for the Loss of a Friend

Messages for sympathy cards will be different for various circumstances. There are friends who have been coworkers, and there are the families of deceased coworkers to whom you will want to express sympathy.

All of your expressions will include a message of your sadness, acknowledgement of the griever's pain, and a wish for condolence and comfort. Sometimes an offer of help is appropriate as well.

There are friends you have known from childhood, and friends you may have known for just a short time or on a casual basis. First of all you determine to whom you will send the words of condolence.

Next you will need to choose from a variety of messages for sympathy cards. Here are some ideas for a number of situations that require you to choose words of comfort for sympathy when someone has lost a friend.

Messages for the Loss of a Coworker

When a coworker dies, it can be as much of a loss as with a family member.

Since it is the depth of the relationship that determines the intensity of the grief, a close coworker might be more of a part of your life than a distant relative.

Often we spend more time with our coworkers than we do with many of our family members as well. This is evident when you leave a job to take another, or when you retire from your job.

A fitting tribute to the family of a deceased coworker might be something like this:

"I am very saddened for your loss of (name), in some way I too share in your sorrow. He(she) was such a large part of my life, as a co-worker that I also considered a friend. Please know that my thoughts and prayers will continue to be with you all."

Those whom you are used to seeing every day, passing the time of day, telling stories and updating each other on your activities, are now much harder to make contact with.

Close friendships with coworkers frequently involve getting to know their families, and when your friend dies, the others who worked alongside will grieve as well.

So your messages for sympathy cards will depend on which of these persons will be the recipient.

Sympathy Messages for the Loss of a Childhood Friend

Messages for sympathy cards in the loss of a childhood friend, similarly, will take into consideration the grief you share with others you both grew up with.

You may have kept in close contact or possibly lost contact for a period of time, but childhood friends are often friends for life. Despite years and miles of separation, you still feel close.

Your cards will doubtless be directed to surviving family members, but may also be directed to your mutual friends.

Some messages for sympathy cards will be more appropriate for family members and others may work better for friends.

Sometimes your childhood friend’s family will be like your own, and this affects your selections as well.

The front of the card reads "While we rejoice in the glad reunion of our loved one with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ .... (click on the image to see the inside messsage) "we are profoundly saddened by your loss. We pray you are comforted by God's peace and healing during this time of grief."

Sympathy Card Messages for the Loss of a Casual Acquaintance

In the instance of the death of a casual friend, you may not be familiar with family members or other survivors, so your messages for sympathy cards in these situations can be more general and less personalized.

A brief message such as

"Sincere condolences in the loss of your father"
will fit nicely with a short statement of what the deceased meant in your life,
“I enjoyed seeing him at the gym, he always had a smile on his face”.