When someone you care about has suffered the death of a loved one or another significant loss, you want to let them know you care. But it can be hard to know what to say to them or to write in a sympathy note. This handy book offers tips for how to talk or write to a grieving person to convey your genuine concern and support. What to say, what not to say, sympathy card etiquette, how to keep in touch, and more are covered in this concise guide written by one of the world's most beloved grief counselors. You'll turn to this book again and again, not only after a death but during times of divorce or break-ups, serious illness, loss of a pet, job change or loss, traumatic life events, major life transitions that are both happy and sad, and more.
It can be very difficult to find the right words of sympathy and encouragement when someone you love has suffered a loss. Often finding the right words to write in a sympathy card or letter can be quite hard, especially if you knew the deceased well, and you are in shock yourself. These sample sympathy letters, messages and quotes will help you to give comfort and support to the bereaved and to those suffering other kinds of loss too. We will help you find words to express sympathy which will be positive and helpful, and treasured for years to come by those who receive them. The book contains: Tips on writing sympathy notes Sample sympathy letters for many different circumstances Messages to send for funerals Messages for condolence flowers and cards Phrases for Funeral Flowers and Wreaths Inspirational quotes for sympathy notes, cards and flowers Messages suitable for loss of a pet Some of the messages have been published on our website www.griefandsympathy.com where they have helped over a million visitors express their condolences, but this book contains many extra letters and quotes which do not appear on the site. About the authors: Elizabeth Postle is the author of the website GriefandSympathy.com and "A Healing Hug for Alzheimer's Caregivers". She has spent her whole career helping people to cope with death, and has also suffered her own personal losses. Her empathy and experience enable her to know instinctively the right thing to say when someone is grieving. She began a 45 year career in nursing and healthcare in 1955 at the age of 16 when she travelled by bus from the North of England to live and begin a nursing cadetship in Southend on Sea. Her long and varied career as a Nurse, Midwife, Health Visitor and later running her own nursing home included training and working within the areas of Psychology, Sociology, Paediatrics, Child Development, Counselling, Aged Care and Dementia Care. Her daughter Lesley Postle is editor, publisher and contributor to GriefandSympathy.com and several other websites. Look inside the book to see more. . . . just click the image!
A straight-to-the-point, honest-as-hell grief recovery handbook, offering a refreshingly honest approach to healing, empowering you to navigate your journey without the fluff and generic advice. Embrace the concept of radical honesty with a raw and unfiltered perspective on the grieving process. From acknowledging the messy and complex nature of grief to exploring unconventional methods for healing, this book is your partner in reclaiming your emotional well-being and mental health. Features: Unflinching Approach: Break free from societal norms and discover a guide that encourages you to embrace your grief honestly, without judgment or platitudes. Actionable Strategies: Navigate your unique grief journey with confidence using practical techniques, exercises, and thought-provoking prompts. Authentic Healing: Explore unconventional methods that resonate with you personally, fostering true healing and emotional growth. Empowerment: Reclaim control over your emotions, allowing yourself to feel deeply and process grief in your own way and at your own pace. Step away from the conventional and embark on a transformative journey toward healing, resilience, and renewed hope. Also check out the companion Hardcore Grief Recovery Workbook for journaling your way through grief.
Inspired by the website that the New York Times hailed as "redefining mourning," this book is a fresh and irreverent examination into navigating grief and resilience in the age of social media, offering comfort and community for coping with the mess of loss through candid original essays from a variety of voices, accompanied by gorgeous two-color illustrations and wry infographics. At a time when we mourn public figures and national tragedies with hashtags, where intimate posts about loss go viral and we receive automated birthday reminders for dead friends, it’s clear we are navigating new terrain without a road map. Let’s face it: most of us have always had a difficult time talking about death and sharing our grief. We’re awkward and uncertain; we avoid, ignore, or even deny feelings of sadness; we offer platitudes; we send sympathy bouquets whittled out of fruit. Enter Rebecca Soffer and Gabrielle Birkner, who can help us do better. Each having lost parents as young adults, they co-founded Modern Loss, responding to a need to change the dialogue around the messy experience of grief. Now, in this wise and often funny book, they offer the insights of the Modern Loss community to help us cry, laugh, grieve, identify, and—above all—empathize. Soffer and Birkner, along with forty guest contributors including Lucy Kalanithi, singer Amanda Palmer, and CNN’s Brian Stelter, reveal their own stories on a wide range of topics including triggers, sex, secrets, and inheritance. Accompanied by beautiful hand-drawn illustrations and witty "how to" cartoons, each contribution provides a unique perspective on loss as well as a remarkable life-affirming message. Brutally honest and inspiring, Modern Loss invites us to talk intimately and humorously about grief, helping us confront the humanity (and mortality) we all share. Beginners welcome.
With this compassionate book by respected grief counselor and educator Dr. Alan Wolfelt, readers will find simplified and suitable methods for talking to children and teenagers about sensitive topics with an emphasis on the subject of death. Honest but child-appropriate language is advocated, and various wording and levels of explanation are suggested for different ages when discussing topics such as death in general, suicide, homicide, accidental death, the death of a child, terminal illness, pet death, funerals, and cremation. An ideal book for parents, caregivers, and counselors looking for an easy resource when talking to youths about death, this book can be used for any setting, religious or otherwise.
The creator of the viral hit "Empathy Cards" teams up with a compassion expert to produce a visually stunning and groundbreaking illustrated guide to help you increase your emotional intelligence and learn how to offer comfort and support when someone you know is in pain. When someone you know is hurting, you want to let her know that you care. But many people don’t know what words to use—or are afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. This thoughtful, instructive guide, from empathy expert Dr. Kelsey Crowe and greeting card maverick Emily McDowell, blends well-researched, actionable advice with the no-nonsense humor and the signature illustration style of McDowell's immensely popular Empathy Cards, to help you feel confident in connecting with anyone experiencing grief, loss, illness, or any other difficult situation. Written in a how-to, relatable, we’ve-all-been-that-deer-in-the-headlights kind of way, There Is No Good Card for This isn’t a spiritual treatise on how to make you a better person or a scientific argument about why compassion matters. It is a helpful illustrated guide to effective compassion that takes you, step by step by step, past the paralysis of thinking about someone in a difficult time to actually doing something (or nothing) with good judgment instead of fear. There Is No Good Card for This features workbook exercises, sample dialogs, and real-life examples from Dr. Crowe’s research, including her popular "Empathy Bootcamps" that give people tools for building relationships when it really counts. Whether it’s a coworker whose mother has died, a neighbor whose husband has been in a car accident, or a friend who is seriously ill, There Is No Good Card for This teaches you how to be the best friend you can be to someone in need.
An updated edition of the best-selling classic by the popular author of the "Miss Manners" columns and etiquette guides is a new volume of letters, essays, illustrations, and humorous advice on how to navigate the world of civilized behavior.
For anyone who has ever searched for the right word at a crucial moment, the revised third edition of this bestselling guide offers a smart and succinct way to say everything One million copies sold! How to Say It® provides clear and practical guidance for what to say--and what not to say--in any situation. Covering everything from business correspondence to personal letters, this is the perfect desk reference for anyone who often finds themselves struggling to find those perfect words for: * Apologies and sympathy letters * Letters to the editor * Cover letters * Fundraising requests * Social correspondence, including invitations and Announcements This new edition features expanded advice for personal and business emails, blogs, and international communication.
