Remembrance
Letter - More than a
Condolence Letter, the Best Gift of All
"Yesterday
I received in the mail a letter from my uncle (my dad's brother)....
Eighteen pages of memories, wisdom, advice. This is one of
the best gifts I have ever received in my life. So meaningful."
~ Wendy Russ, Writing
Letters of Condolence
The
first year after the loss of a loved one is hard - a griever
has to deal with birthdays, anniversaries, mother's or father's
day, and major family holidays that were always spent with that
loved one.
At
any of these difficult times, your friend or loved one would
be grateful to receive a gift showing that others are thinking
of their loved one as well. The gift of a letter with your memories
is the perfect gift to show that you care.
Perhaps
you already wrote a condolence letter or a sympathy note - consider
this a follow-up to that note and give it a little more time
and thought. There's no deadline for this letter.
What
can you write about?
Look
through some photographs or old papers that would help spark
some of your memories. Though at first you may feel like you
won't remember a lot of specifics, as you think back, you'll
remember more.
- How
did you first meet?
- What
did you respect about her?
- What
made you laugh?
- What
did you observe about her that would be of interest to her
family?
- What
did you like to do together?
- What
did you like to argue about?
- What
were some of his favorite things?
- If
you could sum up his personality in one word, what would it
be? What memories reflect that about him?
This
kind of letter doesn't need to have the same formality of a
condolence letter, but the same care should be given to your
friends' feelings. For more information, you can read the following
articles:
Writing
letters of condolence
How
to write a condolence letter
Seven
components of condolence letters
Have
you written a letter that a friend has especially appreciated?
Share
your story.
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