Whether you’ve lost someone close to you or you’re recovering from an illness, it can mean the world when someone reaches out to you with words of support.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- How to Say ‘Thanks for Reaching Out’ in Professional or Formal Email
- ‘Thanks for Reaching Out’ Messages for a Friend or Family Member
- How to Say ‘Thanks for Reaching Out’ After You’ve Experienced a Loss or Tragedy
It may be a close friend or family member, or it may be a work acquaintance who sends a note letting you know you’re in their thoughts. Either way, just knowing someone’s thinking about you can go a long way.
If someone in your life has sent you a condolence email or written letter, you might want to reply and thank them for their kind words. When you’re ready to reply to those people who reached out to you in your time of grief or hardship, the 21 ideas below can help inspire your “thank you for reaching out to me” messages.
Post-loss tip: If you are the executor for a deceased loved one, the emotional and technical aspects of handling their unfinished business can be overwhelming without a way to organize your process. We have a post-loss checklist that will help you ensure that your loved one's family, estate, and other affairs are taken care of.
How to Say ‘Thanks for Reaching Out’ in Professional or Formal Email
How do you respond to condolences in a professional or formal email? Coworkers might reach out to offer their thoughts and condolences when you’ve lost a family member or friend. If you’re sick and stuck at home, your workplace might come together to offer support and well-wishes.
But you may not be close enough with them to respond casually. When that’s the case, you can respond to the condolences with a professional email. Consider using one of the short messages below in your response email.
Here are some different ways to say "thanks for reaching out" in an email:
- "Thank you for your touching words."
- "Please accept my sincere thanks for your beautiful gift."
- "I can't express how grateful I am for your words of support."
- "I truly appreciate your thoughtfulness and compassion."
- "Thank you for offering such kindness and sympathy."
- "Thank you for your kind condolences. I"m grateful to have you in my life."
- "Your kindness means the world to me."
1. Thank you for your touching words.
If your work acquaintances, client, or supervisor reach out with words of support, you can use this simple thank-you message to show your appreciation.
2. Please accept my sincere thanks for your beautiful gift.
You can use a formal message like this to say thank you for any type of gift, including condolence gifts like flowers.
3. I can’t express how grateful I am for your words of support.
If the message or gift was truly meaningful to you, and it helped you get through a rough patch, you can express this in a professional way.
4. I truly appreciate your thoughtfulness and compassion.
Include this message in your thank-you email to show that you recognize and appreciate that person’s caring words or gift.
5. Thank you for offering such kindness and sympathy.
A simple message like this conveys your appreciation for the person’s kindness. It lets them know that you noticed they went out of their way to support you.
6. Thank you for your kind condolences. I’m grateful to have you in my life.
This type of message is slightly more personal, and it works for one person or a group of people. You can let your coworkers know, as a group, that you’re glad to have them around in your time of grief.
7. Your kindness means the world to me.
This message remains professional but offers a personal note, too. It lets the person know that their effort to reach out went a long way.
‘Thanks for Reaching Out’ Messages for a Friend or Family Member
Friends and family members often reach out to offer their support when you’re going through a hard time.
Close loved ones might not send just one written letter or email, but they might offer ongoing support (like daily phone calls or texts), instead. And with close loved ones like family and friends, you can respond in a more personal way.
If you’re responding to condolences from family members or close friends, consider the messages below for your thank-you note.
Here are different ways to say "thanks for your reaching out" to friends and family:
- "I'm so grateful to have friends like you."
- "Thank you so much for your thoughts. It hasn't been easy."
- "It's comforting to know I have you around."
- "I know this hasn't been easy for you either."
- "You're the best friend I could ever hope for. Thank you so much for your support."
- "It was so nice to hear from you, and I'm so appreciative of your kind words."
- "Your words lifted my spirits. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
8. I’m so grateful to have friends like you.
Having a close-knit group of family and friends can make all the difference when you’re going through a tough time. This message shows your friends how much they mean to you.
9. Thank you so much for your thoughts. It hasn’t been easy.
With friends and family, you can feel free to take them up on any offers to share your grief or feelings. As you say thank you, let them support you even more if you need to talk.
10. It’s comforting to know I have you around.
This message lets your friends or family know how essential their kindness and love are when you’re in need.
11. I know this hasn’t been easy for you either.
If you’re going through a hard time, your close loved ones might be, too. If someone in your family or friend group passes away, you can let your loved ones know you’re sorry for their loss, as well.
12. You’re the best friend I could ever hope for. Thank you so much for your support.
Your best friend can be your rock when you’re going through hard times. A quick note like this can let them know you don’t take their love and compassion for granted.
13. It was so nice to hear from you, and I’m so appreciative of your kind words.
If you haven’t heard from a family member or friend for a while, you can take a moment to let them know how nice it is to hear from them again.
14. Your words lifted my spirits. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
A simple letter, email, voicemail, or text from a loved one can lift you up when you’re down. Your friend or family member will love to know that they were able to help.
How to Say ‘Thanks for Reaching Out’ After You’ve Experienced a Loss or Tragedy
If you’ve just lost a loved one or a beloved friend, you might receive letters of support from people close to you. You might even receive some “sorry for your loss” gifts from people who want to brighten your spirits.
If you’re not sure how to respond and thank people for their kind words and support, consider the messages below for some inspiration.
Here are different ways to say "thanks for your reaching out" after going through a tragedy:
- "Thank you for your thoughts and prayers."
- "Thank you for your condolences for my beloved father. I know he loved you dearly, too."
- "Even through the grief, your words brought me so much happiness."
- "Your words show me just how much he was loved and cherished. Thank you."
- "I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your gesture of support."
- "Our family wants to thank you for your kindness and condolences."
- "Thank you, everyone, for the amazing outpouring of support."
15. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
Often, people will offer their “thoughts and prayers” when you’ve experienced a loss. If they have, you can say thank you whether it’s in alignment with your own religion or not. It’s a good idea to use a different thank-you message if the person didn’t specifically say they were offering prayers.
16. Thank you for your condolences for my beloved father. I know he loved you dearly, too.
If you receive condolences after the loss of a loved one, you can offer a note of condolences or sympathy in return.
17. Even through the grief, your words brought me so much happiness.
When you’ve experienced a loss or tragedy, a few words of sympathy and condolences can bring momentary happiness. And when you’re grieving, those brief moments can mean the world. In your thank-you note, you can let someone know how much their condolences meant to you.
18. Your words show me just how much he was loved and cherished. Thank you.
A condolence letter might contain insight about the person you lost. If so, you can take a moment to express your appreciation for that anecdote or sentiment.
19. I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your gesture of support.
If someone has gone out of their way to help you feel better when you’re grieving a loss or tragedy, it’s vital to thank that person for their support. You can use a message like this to let them know their time and energy were meaningful and important to you.
20. Our family wants to thank you for your kindness and condolences.
Often, people send sympathy letters or condolence gifts to the entire family unit when there’s a loss. If someone reaches out to offer words of sympathy to your family, you can thank them on behalf of everyone in your family unit. You can even ask everyone to sign the card.
21. Thank you, everyone, for the amazing outpouring of support.
If you receive too many messages of condolences to respond to individually (especially via social media), you can post a message like this.
Even if you plan to respond to friends and family individually, you can post this message to ensure you thank acquaintances and anyone else who offered sympathy notes.
Saying Thank You for Reaching Out
Thanking people for reaching out lets them know how appreciative you are for their support when you need it most. Even just a few words from a co-worker or your boss can remind you that you’re not alone.
When you say, “Thank you for reaching out,” you’re also letting that person know that you’ll be there for them in return.
You don’t have to respond immediately to say thank you to those who’ve reached out--they know you’re going through a rough time. But when you’re ready, a simple “thank you” can strengthen your bonds and let those people know their words were meaningful to you.