Sympathy and difficult moments guides

What to say after a miscarriage, a redundancy, a serious diagnosis, a move into care and on the anniversary of a death. There are 8 guides in this section, all free to read and copy from.

Every one is written for a specific moment rather than in general, so pick the closest fit and take the lines you need.

• What to say after a miscarriage
  Gentle wording for a miscarriage, for cards, texts and the weeks afterwards, plus the lines to avoid.
• What to say when someone is made redundant
  Messages and practical support for someone who has just lost their job.
• What to say when someone gets a serious diagnosis
  Wording for the first message, treatment weeks and the long middle of a serious illness.
• What to say when someone moves into care
  Messages for the person moving and the family who made the call.
• Death anniversary messages
  What to write on the anniversary of a death, when most people have gone quiet.
• What not to say when someone is grieving
  The well-meant lines that sting, and better wording for each one.
• How to support someone months later
  The support that matters most arrives after everyone else has moved on.
• Practical help to offer instead of words
  Specific offers people actually accept, instead of "let me know if you need anything".

Other guide topics

• Best of: cards and gifts
• What to write in a card
• Messages by recipient
• Sorry, etiquette and awkward moments
• How much to spend
• Jokes and humour
• Puns and wordplay
• Rhymes, poems and quotes
• Riddles and quizzes
• Games and activities
• Party planning
• Decorations and how-to
• Fancy dress and themes
• Family milestones
• Celebrations
• Work and colleagues
• Speeches and toasts
• Cheering someone up
• Feel-good reading
• Christmas and seasonal
• Secret Santa
• Festivals and world celebrations
• Christenings and faith milestones
• Charity and fundraising
• Badges and pins
• Card design and how cards work
• How to: the questions people ask most
• Relationships, apologies and celebrating together
• Card templates, gift ideas and game instructions

Back to all guides

Where to shop next

• All guides
• Card ideas
• Gift shop: anniversary cards, gifts and party games
• Browse all cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Gifts to make someone smile
• Thinking of you gifts

Frequently asked questions

How many sympathy and difficult moments guides are there?

There are 8 in this section, and the full directory has 307 guides across 30 topics.

Are these free to use?

Yes. Copy any message, joke or checklist straight into a card or a party plan. You do not need to buy anything.