Sympathy Advice

Condolences: What Do I Say?

When someone you care about has lost a loved one, it can be hard to know what to say when sending condolences. But it's important to say something. Sharing your condolences lets them know you care and offers comfort in one of the hardest times they'll ever experience. It's a loving gesture that means a lot.

What Kind of Flowers Should I Buy for a Funeral?

A guide to which sympathy flowers are often used to remember the most important people in our lives.

10 Holiday Gifts for Grievers

If you’re shopping for someone who is grieving, the usual gifts may not seem quite right.

What to Wear to a Funeral (video)

This guide explains how to choose appropriate clothing for funerals and memorial services in today’s more casual world. It outlines respectful attire options for women, men, and children, with additional guidance for seasonal services, family members, and funerals with specific dress requests. Emphasizing modesty, neutral colors, and consideration for the grieving family, the article also clarifies what to avoid wearing and offers practical advice for situations where expectations are unclear. Overall, it helps readers balance personal comfort with tradition and respect, ensuring their appearance supports—not distracts from—the purpose of the service.

What to Say When Someone Dies

When someone you care about is grieving, finding the right words can feel overwhelming. This article offers practical, compassionate guidance on what to say—and how to listen—after a death, emphasizing simplicity, empathy, and sincerity. It explores supportive responses for a wide range of situations, from sudden or traumatic losses to long illness, strained relationships, and losses involving children, coworkers, or even strangers. With expert insights, examples of thoughtful phrases, and reminders of what to avoid saying, the guide helps readers express sympathy in ways that acknowledge loss, offer comfort, and remind the bereaved that they are not alone.

Tips and Advice for Pallbearers

Serving as a pallbearer is a serious job, but it doesn't have to be overwhelming.

Should I Make a Memorial Donation?

Flowers have traditionally been the most common sympathy gift. But today, more and more people are choosing to make a memorial donation instead of or in addition to sending flowers to grieving friends.

Jewish Funeral Service Rituals

Will you be attending a Jewish funeral for the first time? If so, you may have questions or be unsure what to expect. Here is a general overview of Jewish customs and traditions surrounding death, burial, and mourning to be aware of when attending a funeral in the Jewish faith. 

What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?

is a beautiful way to show you care. But it's easy to get stuck when you're trying to think of what to write on the card. There's only space for a few words, and you want them to be just right. You're also likely to be struggling with your own difficult feelings about the death, making it even harder to put your thoughts in words. What should you say?

Guide to Sending Funeral Flowers

The grief of losing a loved one is painful. If someone you care about is grieving, you want to offer your comfort and support. Sending funeral sympathy flowers is one of the most popular ways to express condolences.

What to Do for a Grieving Mother on Mother's Day

Some thoughtful acts can make this time a little less painful.

Best Sympathy Quotes

This article brings together 57 timeless sympathy quotes drawn from history, literature, scripture, and voices of spiritual and philosophical reflection. Spanning cultures and centuries, these words offer comfort, perspective, and reassurance to those navigating grief, loss, and mourning. From well-known authors and poets to biblical passages and proverbs, the collection is designed to help readers find language that honors love, acknowledges sorrow, and offers hope when words feel hardest to find.

Military Funeral Service Rituals

One of the most revered traditions of military life, a military funeral honors ceremony is a key part of how many families honor their lost veteran. But like all formal ceremonies, they can be a little intimidating if you don’t know what to expect. Read on to learn what happens at a military funeral and find answers to questions on how to behave, what to bring, and how to best help a family say goodbye to their veteran with dignity and respect.

Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?

Sending flowers is a meaningful way to express sympathy after a death, but etiquette can feel unclear—especially around what to send, where to send it, and when flowers may not be appropriate. This guide answers common questions about funeral and sympathy flowers, including timing, arrangement types and sizes, message card wording, and practical delivery considerations. It also outlines respectful alternatives such as potted plants, food baskets, memorial gifts, or charitable donations, and highlights faith-based customs where flowers may be discouraged or require specific choices. Overall, it provides straightforward guidance to help you offer support thoughtfully and respectfully, whether or not you can attend the service.

When a Bereaved Coworker Returns to the Job

If you worry about what to say and do when a bereaved coworker comes back to work, you're not alone.

What to Expect at a Memorial Service Held at Home

A casual setting can make it more comfortable to share memories.

Sikh Funeral Service Rituals

Will you be attending a Sikh funeral for the first time? Here is an overview of the general Sikh customs and traditions surrounding death, burial, and mourning to be aware of when attending a funeral.

Hindu Funeral Service Rituals

Will you be attending a Hindu funeral for the first time? Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion, with over a billion followers. Here is an overview of the general Hindu customs and traditions surrounding death, burial, and mourning to be aware of when attending a funeral.

Feeling Guilty About Missing a Friend's Funeral

Missing a funeral can bring up a lot of emotions, but guilt shouldn't necessarily be one of them.

'S-Town' Fans Flock to John B.’s Legacy Guest Book

Podcast listeners share their sympathies for the "tortured genius."

The Power of Condolences

Friends and family members play a crucial role in extending support during mourning.

Must Bereaved Parents Grieve Alone?

"The true way to mourn the dead is to take care of the living who belong to them."

Attending a Funeral: What's In It For You?

So many rituals, which bind us together, have fallen by the wayside in our society — and funerals are on the endangered species list.

The Truth About Goodbyes

Nearly 13 years ago, I joined Legacy.com as a content screener.

Is “I’m Sorry” Becoming a Cliché?

Saying “I’m sorry” or “I’m sorry for your loss” has been an accepted way to extend condolences for just about forever. But it is hard to predict how someone who is grieving will react to those words.

How To Comfort When a Pet Dies

Your support of someone mourning a beloved pet can positively impact their healing.

Comforting the Bereaved Through Supportive Listening

Lending an ear might be the kindest thing you can do for someone grieving a loss.

How To Write Condolences on Facebook

Writing a message of support on Facebook is different from writing a sympathy note.

Condolences When a Friendship Is Strained

It’s hard not to feel sorrow when a friendship flounders. Maybe you are experiencing a difficult time and a friend vanishes; or, a friend experiences life changes and seems to drop out.

Funeral Flower Messages: What to Say

This article was contributed by , a mother-and-son-operated website dedicated to helping users find the right words for sympathy, bereavement and funeral cards. Visit to find everything from to ideas for .

What to Wear to a Funeral

Advice from experts on funeral dress: what is appropriate to wear to a funeral—and what you should never wear when attending a funeral, memorial service, visitation, or wake.

What Is a Memorial Service?

This article explains what a memorial service is and how it differs from a traditional funeral, helping first-time attendees know what to expect. It outlines why memorial services are held without the body present, how their timing can be flexible, and why they are often more informal and personalized. Emphasizing remembrance and celebration of life, the guide describes common elements such as shared stories, music, and opportunities to connect with other attendees. It also offers practical etiquette tips on participation and expressing condolences, highlighting how personal memories can bring lasting comfort to the family.