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What to write to bereaved parents – Part Two

February 1, 2019 By Leave a Comment

It’s one thing to write about what to write in general terms. But when it happens to you, and the deceased child is a relative, wow – does that really bring it home.

What to write to bereaved parents

My cousin whom we lost a few days ago aged just 31. What the hell can I say to his parents? What can anyone anyone say to his parents that might help them?

On Tuesday this week I sat in my car after attending an excellent business networking launch of a new group and, feeling in a good mood, I took my phone off “silent” and looked through my messages.

One from one of my favourite cousins, a French-speaking Belgian (my mother was Belgian) began with the words – in French – “I am devasted to tell you that our son was killed in a motorcycle accident in the Philippines on Sunday.”

He was 31 years old. [Read more…]

Filed Under: How to Write, Latest, Social writing, Writing From The Heart Tagged With: , , , ,

How to write a eulogy

July 26, 2013 By Leave a Comment

small__133816737Although many people believe that a eulogy should be a lasciviously praising speech about how wonderful the deceased was, it doesn’t have to be. In fact such schmaltzy nonsense is likely to be highly inappropriate for the majority of people, whether dead or alive.

For a list of all 12 articles in this series on how to write well to people dealing with death, bereavement and other life sadness, click here. 

[Read more…]

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How to write an obituary

May 10, 2013 By 1 Comment

small__3628798841When you lose someone close to you – particularly if he or she was a known figure in your community and/or beyond – you may be asked to write an obituary.

This is not the same as a death announcement. An obituary is a longer piece of writing that summarizes your loved one’s life and achievements, as a tribute to them.

For a list of all 12 articles in this series on how to write well to people dealing with death, bereavement and other life sadness, click here. 

And because the need for an obituary is going to arise very soon after your loved one’s passing, you may find some help on how to write this particularly useful… [Read more…]

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How to write a death announcement

May 2, 2013 By 2 Comments

small__2343714916When you’ve just lost a loved one, it can be very hard to find the courage to write an announcement of their death for the newspapers, and other public media. But announce it you must, so friends, colleagues, associates and more distant family will know of your loss and what the funeral arrangements are, so they can come and pay their respects.

For a list of all 12 articles in this series on how to write well to people dealing with death, bereavement and other life sadness, click here. 

[Read more…]

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What to write when someone has died

March 14, 2011 By 20 Comments

died,deceased,passed away,write,condolence,sympathies

Update October 2015: please note that although this article is still helping many people like you, I have written an updated article on this topic which includes more information about what to write in our increasingly important online environment. Click here to see that article.

Ah, this is a difficult one – when someone has died and you want to write a letter of sympathy with his or her relatives and friends.

For a list of all 12 articles in this series on how to write well to people dealing with death, bereavement and other life sadness, click here. 

[Read more…]

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