As my parents have grown older, so have their friends. It seems like my Mother was making many monthly trips to express her condolences at our nearby funeral home. The family who loses a loved one has so many arrangements to make within several days and life becomes surreal. The chaos of a funeral viewing and the verbal expression and sympathies coming from so many friends within a short time period erases the faces of those who came to remember. It’s so important to send sympathy cards to let the families of lost loved ones know you stopped by to pay your respects.
Every so often, someone in the work place loses a family member, another reality of our lives. Business sympathy cards are a special way of providing continued comfort to a co-worker and their family. We may not know this person personally, but we become connected through the work place. Giving or receiving a sympathy card from a work acquaintance can build a special bond between friends in the office. Verbal expressions of sorrow are caring, but a sympathy card brings thoughts of compassion that can’t be erased. Your thoughtfulness will always remain with your family or friends.
It was a really nice day out, and it was a Friday. Everyone in the office was anxious and excited. Finally, the end of a long work week! But just as everyone was settling down, we noticed our co-worker wasn’t at her desk. Then we got the horrible news. Her mother had sadly passed away the night before, suddenly and without warning. It seems like right in that instant, all our hearts broke for our beloved co-worker. I couldn’t help but want to run to her and give her a big hug. Then I realized that maybe she didn’t want to be around people at this moment and that maybe she needed some time to collect herself and bring herself together. We would of course respect her space during this difficult time, but we certainly wanted to let her know that we were all thinking of her and her family. That’s where sympathy cards come in. With a sympathy card, you can hand it to the person without getting emotional face to face, which some people are uncomfortable about. Naturally not everyone likes getting teary eyed in front of others. This way the person going through this hard time can keep the sentiment, read it in their own comfort and on their own time, and feel free to get emotional without the worry that someone may be looking. I like writing a paragraph of support and ending it with a good quote fitting for the situation. The one I chose for my co-workers sympathy card was: “For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity.” – William Penn.
Everyone in our office had something nice to say, and wanted to reach out to our friend, so it’s very convenient and smart that our company has business sympathy cards on hand all year round. We got one of our cards and all signed it, including our boss, who was equally devastated that our friend was going through this loss. It was a while before our co-worker was able to come back to the normal routine of life but when she did she expressed how much the card we sent meant to her. She said that even though she needed her space, our sympathy card made her feel like she wasn’t alone at all. And that’s the most important message we wanted to convey.
We all love good old American boy scouts, right? And why is that? Because they are prepared. “Be prepared” is their actual motto. Everyone likes to be prepared. Does anyone ever say, oh I’d prefer to be unprepared for that meeting, no! So if you like to be prepared, why would it be any different when it comes to sympathy cards.
Actually, if you think about it for a moment, different than with birthdays and anniversaries which you know the date of ahead of time, it is extremely rare to know when someone will meet the end of their lifetime. It also is a part of life and inevitable that we will have to express our sympathy to our friends and family as their loved ones pass whether suddenly or of natural causes, at times even while grieving ourselves. So it makes even more sense to make sure that you have sympathy cards on hand so you can use them or mail them out when needed. It is suggested that business sympathy cards especially should be sent within a few days of learning of a person’s passing so that too much time does not go by before you express your condolences. Remember to keep it simple especially if you didn’t know the person too well. You just want to be able to acknowledge their mourning and let the recipient know you are thinking about them.
It is a natural reaction to avoid anything to do with death or funerals. The unfortunate result is that we are often unprepared and overwhelmed with the proper approach to take when a colleague, business associate or co-worker has a sudden loss in their family. The first step should be to send a sympathy card. Sympathy cards offer an appropriate sign that you are sensitive to the person’s loss.
When we think about a loss of a loved one, we remember the people we received sympathy cards from. Business associates will certainly feel the same way. It seems a prudent practice to be prepared for the possibility that business sympathy cards would be needed at any given time. The world is becoming a smaller place and businesses are no longer behaving in a cold and detached manner. The trend toward a warmer approach has shown that people respond better when the businesses they deal with care about them.
There is no reason to limit your involvement to a sympathy card. When my father-in-law passed away, there were many people who came to the wake that were business associates. I cannot tell you how that impressed and comforted my mother-in-law. The capacity to show sympathy is not something to be underestimated.
When we are vulnerable all kindness is appreciated. Many times we ask ourselves what should we do. What are the proper words to say? Should we send a card or send flowers or visit. Ask yourself what would you like if you lost a loved one and you will have your answer. A flower, a card or a visit encourages us to remember we are not alone in our grief. Who among us would not rather do business with people who are caring and thoughtful? Keeping a supply of business sympathy cards will help prepare you to express that caring to others.
When someone experiences the loss of a loved one, business sympathy cards can bring to light how many other lives have been impacted by this individual. Receiving acknowledgement from someone’s co-workers touches the heart as it reveals an often unknown group of people that share the loss of your dearly departed. We all know the effects of the loss on friends and family but hearing from outside this group can be very special indeed.
I recently lost a very dear friend of many years. After the services were over, her husband approached me and asked if I would help him choose appropriate thank you cards. He wanted to send a message of thanks in response to the many thoughtful sympathy cards that had been sent to him from his wife’s co-workers and clients. He told me that he had received an astonishing amount of approximately 300 business related cards! He knew only a few of these people and was overwhelmed by the kindness and caring these cards represented.
Business greeting cards, in general, show appreciation and respect for people we work with, who work for us, and who we work for. That respect and appreciation exhibited through a business sympathy card is a way to show someone how much their dear one meant to others. It’s a simple way to touch the heart.
Some of the hardest cards to send are business sympathy cards. Design 098AY – Sympathy Water Lilies Greeting Card, can help make this process easier. You want to let the recipient know how much you feel for their loss, and that they are in your thoughts, and you want to make sure it’s done in a gentle and thoughtful manner. The beauty and tranquility of this card can express your sincere condolences in just such a way. Its elegant beauty and serene design help bring comfort in a time of sorrow. This sympathy card is sure to be appreciated by anyone who receives it.
Design 098AY - Sympathy Water Lilies Greeting Card
Design 098AY – Sympathy Water Lilies Greeting Card, is done on a cream colored stock, with two white pearlized water lilies perched on light green lily pads. Water gently flows by, bringing a sense of calm. The image invokes a feeling of quiet reflection and grace. When you wish to offer solace to those who mourn, this design can be a welcome piece of serenity to all who receive it.
I’ve experienced many unusual events as a result of the death of a business coworker, the passing of a friend, or the “going home” of a family member. Deep within there is an earnest desire to convey love and friendship to those closely connected, or a sincere sense of gratitude and respect for the privilege of working with a recently passed, fellow employee. At least there are many comforting business sympathy cards to choose from to express thoughts from the heart, especially when some might feel uncomfortable or awkward around the subject.
There was once the tragic accidental death of an Indian coworker, struck down in the prime of life as a result of a local train accident as she headed to work one morning. The whole company was in shock. The executives did not know how to continue with day-to-day business, how to act, what to say. Her damaged briefcase was recovered from the scene and delivered to the office. A grief counselor was brought in to assist warehouse and office employees. There was a Hindi funeral service that followed where people wore white instead of black, then a cremation ceremony. You see, it’s not all about business, it’s about people.
At another job, a catalog phone rep lost her husband in a matter of hours with what started off as a simple headache after their children’s softball game. Dad was the coach. The profound sadness on her face when she returned to work will forever be etched in my memory. Before her husband’s death her everyday joy of life was so incredibly cheerful and energetic. Her smile radiated beneath a full head of blonde curls. I thought she must have been the luckiest lady in the world with the best husband, family, and marriage. Now her grief was so vast that no one could approach her; no one knew what to say as she sat alone at her workstation. Beautiful company sympathy cards came her way to ease her heart, if only to quietly read how respected and loved her husband was, and that there were people she worked with who cared even though they may not have known how to say it face to face.
The cards were a means of offering her active, conscious support. She knew she was still loved and accepted on the job even though her personal grief would have to take months and years to process.
If you’re looking to purchase business sympathy cards, design #103AE, Brushstroke Sympathy Greeting Card, is very appropriate. The design is a very simple and elegant expression of sympathy. It conveys an almost heavenly feeling to anyone who receives it. The Gallery Collection always expresses the proper message of condolence that you would want to send to anyone who is grieving. Whether they are sympathy cards or Christmas cards, you can count on them being beautiful and tasteful. The soft blue foil against the sweeping brushstroke has just the right touch of color so it does not look sad or dull.
This is a very appropriate card to send on either a personal level or from a business to its clients, customers, or employees. The sympathy greetings provided by The Gallery Collection are simply and eloquently phrased and are appropriate for either business or personal use as well.
When sending business sympathy cards you need to think simple but elegant, and design #316AY, Graceful Sympathy Card, is an appropriate fit. You shouldn’t send a card that is too colorful and busy. After all, we know it is a very difficult time for your friend or co-worker. This design is printed on cream colored stock on recycled paper. It is a beautiful card, with a large blue butterfly poised on an intertwining vine with small pale green leaves. The butterfly appears to be ready for flight. You can almost picture yourself sitting alone in a small park thinking about the past and wondering about the future. Your recipient will find this card very comforting and soothing.
Design #316AY - Graceful Sympathy Card
Business sympathy cards are one of the hardest cards to send. Design #098AY, Sympathy Water Lilies Card, can help make this process easier. You want to let your recipient know how much you feel for his or her loss and that they are in your thoughts, but you have to make sure you do this in a very gentle way…and this card is very gentle. It is done on a cream colored stock with two white pearlized water lilies perched on light green lily pads.
Design #098AY - Sympathy Water Lilies Greeting Card
This is a very reflective design. How many times have you sat by the edge of the water and stared out thinking of past memories, good and precious times you shared with your loved ones, and maybe wishing you could still have them here to create even more memories. This is the type of card that can make you feel inspired.
Either one of these sympathy cards would be appropriate to send and very much appreciated.
It would be difficult to find practical instructions in any etiquette book for choosing and sending business sympathy cards. When a close personal friend loses a loved one, or when someone we have personally known dies and we want to reach out to that person’s grieving family, we act on instinct. For these personal expressions of sympathy, we phone and we visit, and we are often used to making a special trip to personally pick out a suitable sympathy card. Or, perhaps we write a personal note of some length. Or, maybe we just go directly to sending a floral arrangement or fruit basket.
When selecting business sympathy cards, however, we are preparing ahead of time to offer condolences to and about a variety of people with whom we may have only a passing acquaintance. We are also making a selection that will reflect upon our company and the many differing people affiliated with our company. And yet, the very reason for sending a card lets us know that a brusque, business-like style would be inappropriate for the situation.
What to do?! I suggest consideration of one of the two sympathy cards I’m about to mention. Both are of a very dignified size and quality. Both designs reflect simplicity and gentility, which are soothing elements in the expression of condolences.
Design #341AR, Sympathy Lilies Card, strikes a sensitive balance between formality and gentleness. Its embossed framing leaves a clean white margin. The hint of soft lavender in the frame is also used to add three-dimensional shadowing to the lilies. The graceful curling petals and leaves are deeply sculpted for, not only visual depth, but a tactile sense of comfort. The natural shades of green and muted yellow, with coral-colored anther on the stamen, provide an easy focus for weary eyes.
Design #341AR - Sympathy Lilies Card
A tad more formal, design #376AY, In Sympathy Card, is softened with a flowing gold foil script. Set on creamy ecru matte-finish card stock, it has a subtly embossed fine double framing. A muted contrast of marbleized pearl rectangle backs the facial script, for a sense of greater depth. This is a very correct and dignified representation for your company’s expression of sympathy to business associates or clients.
Design #376AY - In Sympathy Card
In either design, your use of a simple verse that is not overdone or presumptuous, with your company name clearly imprinted below the verse, will be entirely proper and welcome. A handwritten salutation or very brief note and/or single personal signature will warm your sentiments when the situation seems appropriate.
