what to say to a friend who just lost their mother?
28402
At the end of the day, something as simple as “I'm so sorry for your loss” or “I'm so sad for you and your family, please accept my deepest condolences” is always appropriate. But you might want to offer something a little deeper than that, especially if you are close to the bereaved.
166734
['Acknowledge the loss. ... ', 'Ask what he or she needs to ease the transition. ... ', 'Help the person see the difference between who he or she is and the situation. ... ', 'Encourage the idea of connecting with friends and family.']
1269474
Loss Of A Coworker Sympathy Card Messages “I am so sorry to hear about your loss. My thoughts are with you.” “May (name) rest in peace. Know that I'm here for you during this time of grieving.”
429260
['I miss you too.', 'thank you.', 'oh, ok.', 'whatever.', "awwww, that's sweet of you to say.", "what's for lunch — example of just changing the subject."]
409975
['“Thank you.” ... ', '“Thank you for coming.” ... ', '“I appreciate that.” ... ', '“I was lucky to be able to share my life with him/her.” ... ', '“Thank you. ... ', '“Thank you for all your support during these difficult months.” ... ', '“Thank you for reaching out to me. ... ', '“Thank you.']
90004
["13. ”I'm here for you.” ... ", '“You are so strong.” ... ', '“Today was a really tough day.” ... ', "“I've been thinking of you.” ... ", "“I'm only a phone call away.” ... ", '“I have no words to express my sadness.”']
16221
["Thinking about you and [pet's name]. ... ", 'We can never keep them long enough! ... ', 'Wishing you comfort and peace during this difficult time.', 'I am so sorry for your loss. ... ', "[Pet's name] was such a great [dog/cat/etc.]. ... ", 'Losing such an important part of the family is never easy.']
1324632
["Be simple: “I'm sorry for your loss.”", "Be honest: “I don't know what to say. I can't imagine what you're going through.”", 'Be comforting: “I care about you and your family. Please tell me what I can do to help.”']
16165
["“I'm not sure what to say, but I want you to know I care.”", "“I'm sorry to hear that you are going through this.”", '“How are you doing?”', "“If you would like to talk about it, I'm here.”", '“Please let me know how I can help.”', "“I'll keep you in my thoughts.”"]
130706
['“We are so sorry for your loss.”', "“I'm going to miss her, too.”", '“I hope you feel surrounded by much love.”', '“Sharing in your sadness as you remember Dan.”', '“Sending healing prayers and comforting hugs. ... ', '“With deepest sympathy as you remember Robert.”', '“I was saddened to hear that your grandfather passed away.']
1034753
["“I'm so sorry that you are going through this. ... ", '“Despite all the troubles in the world, I hope you are doing well.” ... ', '“My heart is breaking for you. ... ', '“You are important to me. ... ', '“I recently heard about your loss. ... ', '"Are you okay?”']
358809
['“I\'m so sorry for your loss. I\'m here for you."', '2. “ Remember you are not alone. ... ', '3. “ I\'m thinking of you."', '4. “ I love you so much and I imagine you feel [awful] right now, but I just had to remind you of how wonderful I think you are."', '5. “']
684476
["“I'm not sure exactly what to say, but I want you to know I care.”", '“You are in my thoughts/prayers.”', '“Can I bring you a dinner this week? ... ', '“If you want to talk about him/her, please feel free to call (or text) anytime.”', "“If you need me, I'll be there. ... ", '“My favorite memory with (____) is…”']
592581
["Acknowledge the person's death. When you are searching for what to say when someone dies, don't be afraid to state what a terrible thing it is to have happened. ... ", 'Be empathetic. ... ', 'Be specific. ... ', "Talk about the person who's died. ... ", 'Express your own sadness. ... ', 'Accept anger. ... ', 'Keep in touch. ... ', 'Break your fear of upsetting someone.']
1269496
Keep it simple and honest. Express your sorrow, affirm their pain, admit that you can't find the words, and reassure them that you'll keep them in your thoughts. “I'm so sorry.” “I can see that this is very hard on you.” "I don't know what to say." “I'm thinking of you often.”
872767
['“Accept my condolences.”', '“My deepest sympathy.”', "“I'm very saddened to hear of your loss.”", '“I am so sorry for your loss.”', '“My heart goes out to you in your time of sorrow.”', '“Know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.”', '“My prayers are with you and family.”']
286535
['“Gone from our sight, but never from our hearts.”', '“Our thoughts and prayers are with you.”', '“I wish you healing and peace.”', '“I hope you feel surrounded by much love.”', '“We are so sorry for your loss.”', '“We are thinking of you during these difficult times.”']