Expressing sympathy and grief have always been private matters to me. So private, in fact, that I'm often too late to reach out by the time I'm done running circles around my condolences. What do you tell someone who only wants to hear "we made a mistake, your dad is still alive, you're going to regain your sight, your legs will grow back, you're not going to die" ?
Emily McDowell approaches sympathy cards from the unique perspective of someone who has survived one of these no-words-for-it devastations. The designer was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 24 and says that one of the worst parts of the process was feeling isolated by those who didn't know how to reach out to her.
Empathy Cards: Support for Serious Illness and Loss were her remedy. Launched May 2015, her hand lettered greeting cards paired with refreshingly forthright sentiments say what needs to be said and provide a vehicle for the sort of honesty that maintains friendship. They poke fun at common sympathy tropes, ranging from premature silver linings to anecdotes that instill fear before they provide comfort.
To see the original launch post: The Blog of Emily McDowell Studio
To see the full collection: Emily McDowell Studio