Journeying through Grief

Sample Letter to Accompany Book 4—Rebuilding and Remembering

(Sent eleven months after the loss)

Here is a sample letter to accompany Book 4—Rebuilding and Remembering. You can use the sample by highlighting the text and then copying and pasting it into your word processing program.

We encourage you to customize and personalize the letter for the person who will be receiving it.

[Date]

Dear [Recipient’s name],

It will soon be a year since [deceased’s name or the recipient’s relationship with the deceased] passed away.

The first anniversary of the loss of a loved one can be difficult, and grieving people sometimes feel anxious as that day approaches. The enclosed book, Rebuilding and Remembering, has a very helpful chapter about this anniversary with a number of ideas for dealing with your thoughts and feelings at this time.

The book contains many other helpful insights, such as giving yourself renewed permission to grieve. This is important because people around you may be acting as if your grief should have ended some time ago. But you don’t have to grieve according to someone else’s timetable. Let yourself grieve for as long as you need to.

This is the last of the four Journeying through Grief books. I hope that they have been valuable companions on your journey—and that they will continue to serve you in the months and years to come.

[Possibly add some personalized thoughts or information.]

May God’s comfort encompass you as you remember and cherish [deceased’s name or the recipient’s relationship with the deceased] in your heart always.

Sincerely,
[Or any closing you like to use.]