Get Well & Sympathy

Anniversary of a Death: 50+ Messages for the Day

50+ messages for the anniversary of a death — the first year, years later, and for birthdays and Christmas — plus why remembering the date matters most.

By Funtastic E Cards Editorial Team 4 min read

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Photo by Chi Pham on Unsplash

The anniversary of a death is the day everyone else has forgotten and the bereaved person has been dreading for weeks. A message on that date does more than almost anything you sent at the funeral. Here are 50+ messages.

Send yours in a free sympathy ecard, or a simple text — the date is the point, not the format.

What to say on the day

  1. Thinking of you today. I know what date it is.
  2. Thinking of you and remembering Tom today.
  3. Today of all days — thinking of you. No reply needed.
  4. I know today is hard. I am here if you want company.
  5. Remembering her today, and thinking of you.
  6. Thinking of you this morning. I have not forgotten.
  7. Today will be a heavy one. Sending love.
  8. Thinking of you and your family today.
  9. Remembering him today. He is still very much talked about here.
  10. Just so you know somebody else is thinking of her today too.
  11. Thinking of you. However today goes, it is allowed to go that way.
  12. Holding you in my thoughts today.

The first anniversary

  1. A year today. I am so sorry — I know that number does not help.
  2. One year. Thinking of you, and of him, all day.
  3. A year on and I still think about her. I imagine you do every day.
  4. Thinking of you today especially. The first one is brutal.
  5. A whole year without him. I am so sorry.
  6. One year today. You have got through something enormous.
  7. Thinking of you on this first anniversary. Sending a lot of love.
  8. A year. Please be gentle with yourself today.
  9. Remembering her today, one year on. Still missed by more people than you know.
  10. Thinking of you. A year does not fix anything and nobody should pretend it does.

Years later

  1. Five years today. Still thinking of him, still glad I knew him.
  2. Thinking of you today. Time passes and the date does not get easier.
  3. Remembering her today, as I do every year.
  4. Thinking of you. I know everyone else has moved on. I have not.
  5. It has been a long time and she is still missed. Thinking of you.
  6. Thinking of you today. Ten years and he still comes up in conversation here.
  7. Remembering him today. Some anniversaries never stop mattering.
  8. Thinking of you. Same date, same love, every year.

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For a parent’s or spouse’s anniversary

  1. Thinking of you today and remembering your mum.
  2. Remembering your dad today. Thinking of all of you.
  3. Thinking of you on what must be a very long day. Remembering him.
  4. Today marks a year without her. Thinking of you constantly.
  5. Remembering your husband today, and thinking of you especially.
  6. Thinking of you today. She was wonderful and she is not forgotten.
  7. Remembering your wife today. Sending love to you and the family.
  8. Thinking of you. Your dad comes up in conversation here more than you would guess.

For birthdays, Christmas and other hard dates

  1. It would have been his birthday today. Thinking of you.
  2. Thinking of you this Christmas especially. I know who is missing from the table.
  3. Her birthday today. Remembering her, and thinking of you.
  4. Thinking of you this Mother’s Day. I know it is a hard one now.
  5. First Christmas without him. Thinking of you all.
  6. Thinking of you on Father’s Day. Remembering your dad.
  7. Today would have been their anniversary. Thinking of you.
  8. Thinking of you this week. The dates come round whether we want them to or not.

Short messages

  1. Thinking of you today.
  2. Remembering him today.
  3. Remembering her today.
  4. I have not forgotten.
  5. Thinking of you. No reply needed.
  6. Here if you need anything.
  7. Sending love today.
  8. Holding you in my thoughts.

How to write it

  1. Say the name. By the anniversary, most people have stopped saying it entirely.
  2. Say you remembered the date. That is the whole message — proof somebody else was keeping track.
  3. Do not mention time healing. A year is not a milestone of recovery and framing it that way stings.
  4. Ask nothing. Add “no reply needed” so the message is a gift rather than a task.
  5. Diarise it. The single most useful thing you can do is put the date in your calendar and send something every year.

Send it

A free sympathy ecard arrives on the day. See also thinking of you messages and short sympathy messages:

FAQ

Should you contact someone on the anniversary of a death?

Yes. Bereaved people consistently report that anniversaries are the loneliest days, precisely because everyone else has forgotten the date.

What do you say?

That you remembered, and the person’s name. “Thinking of you today. I know what date it is” is enough on its own.

What should you avoid?

Anything about time healing, milestones, or moving on. An anniversary is not a progress report.

Is it strange to mention it years later?

No — it becomes more valuable with time, because almost nobody else still marks it.

What is a good short message?

“Thinking of you today. I have not forgotten.”

What about birthdays and Christmas?

Those are often harder than the anniversary itself. A short message on those dates is just as welcome.

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