Writing a letter may be, at times, complicated, and it's even harder to write that letter when the reason isn't positive. Condolences are mostly given when someone has passed away, you send a letter of condolences to the family of the deceased.

Expressing your feelings through a letter may be the best way to show that you really care about the person who passed away, and that you care about the family as well. Follow these few steps to get an idea of how a condolences/sympathy letter should go:

1. The purpose of this letter is to honor the life of the deceased, and to support the bereaved. You must be delicate in the way you say things and how you refer to the person who passed away.

2. Don't limit yourself to just a few lines, this is the time in which you can think and remember the times you spent together, and those memories should be beautiful treasures for you and his/her family.

3. A lot of people prefer to begin by acknowledging the fact that certain person has passed away, while other prefer to never say it, just assume that everyone knows about it. Still, you can do either way as long as you're respectful and you don't dwell to much on the fact that this person is gone. This letter should show sympathy and help the family cheer up, not get more depressed.

4. Most importantly, offer your condolences sincerely.

5. Offer your help and support to the family. A lot of the times families are left with a huge burden after one of the members passes away. Even if you can't help monetarily, you can always help them with other simpler, smaller tasks. Offering your help will probably be the most valuable gift to the family, even if they don't accept it.

6. Close with affection. Some people like to add a few verses from the Bible, or a quote from a book. Finding the right one for your situation may be complicated, but if you do, it might express your feelings to truthfully, it can become the best part of your letter.

Writing condolences because of someone's death is hard, but image you could make someone smile because of a thoughtful letter. We hope you find the inspiration to write your own letter, and make someone's day today.