Never are we more concerned with getting it right than whenwriting to one who has suffered a loss. In My DeepestSympathies-- , letter-writing guru Florence Isaacs guides usthrough the ins and outs of offering comfort and support with shortyet meaningful notes that will long be remembered by theirrecipients. She offers guidelines for diverse situations, withsample letters to draw on, so that it's easy to strike theappropriate tone every time. Isaacs explainsthat the individual circumstances help determine what's appropriateto say in a sympathy note, and she provides specific techniques fora wide range of relationships, from the death of a coworker'sspouse to the loss of a friend's elderly parent from Alzheimer's.She also addresses complex situations like the death of an ex-wife,an estranged sibling, or a longtime companion. She even includesthoughtful words for the death of a pet. Whether it's for a blank note or a few extra lines on a card,Isaacs's advice runs the gamut from personal
