What do I write in a Christmas card...

[BookstoreEscapee]

for someone whose father just passed away?

Like, on Tuesday....

This is also their baby's first Christmas (he was born in July).

Trying to think of something appropriate to write. (I did send sympathy cards the other day.)

The card itself has a snowman holding an ornament thing that says Peace, Joy, Love and inside it says "The season's greatest gifts - peace, joy, friendships - can only be wrapped with love."

[csquared]

My condolences to your friend's family. It is tough to lose a loved one, and harder this time of year.

The Christmas card should be the Christmas card. Not a sympathy card. Write in it the same thing you put in the other cards.

Acknowledging Baby's first would be nice. Myself, I let HallMark come up with the witty sayings. I just sign them.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Yeah, I feel so bad for her. She was my college roommate for a year and a half. Her dad has been up and down for a while now, and was in hospice for the last week or two. Though she said he seemed to be doing a little better since he got settled in there (perhaps because he didn't have the stress of moving between the rehab center, the hospital, the critical care facility, and back to the rehab...and doing it all over again. He finally said 'enough'). I was really hoping he'd make it through Christmas. I hadn't seen him since her wedding two years ago, but he was a really sweet man.

I wasn't trying to make the Christmas card a sympathy card...like I said, I sent cards to her and to her mom/sister/nephew (who share a house). I have an assortment of cards, so I was trying to avoid the really cheery "have a wonderful happy holiday" cards...since I know they won't.

I've been checking in on her on Facebook, and she seems to be hanging in there. She and her sister even wrote a silly obituary, remembering all the goofy things about him, which she emailed along with the official obit that went in the paper. They're having a memorial service on the 29th, which I will thankfully be able to take the day off and go to (it's about a 3 hour drive from me). I was already taking the 30th and 31st off for my last two floating holidays, so I just tacked on a personal day; luckily Monday is the only day I really need to be there.

[csquared]

You have a heart of gold.

I agree about the cheesy greeting. "Be happy" is not what you want to say when someone is having a hard time. However, the card you described, did not come across that way.

I would go with more of a "blessing." In keeping with the theme of the card, may I suggest:
May you find Peace, Joy and Love this Holiday Season and throughout the New Year.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I went with "wishing you a peaceful Christmas"...wanted to get it in the mail for tomorrow. Hopefully it'll get there before her hubby leaves to meet her in PA.