Finding the right words to show your appreciation to someone for their support during a difficult time can feel challenging.
When you go through a difficult time, it may be friends, family members, bosses, or others that give you support. Gratitude can help you through hard times.
Focusing on thank-you note wording may be difficult during a time of loss or grief. To help you, I’ll give you a template to follow, a few ideas, and examples of thank you note messages that you can use in a thank you note, email, or text message.
The examples will cover different scenarios for difficult times and some general examples, as there are various ways that life can be challenging. And the support received can be different based on the situation.
If you’ve lost a pet, please read the pet loss example thank you messages.
This post is part of the thank you for your support series. Other posts in this series include:
- 50 Thank You For Your Support Messages
- Thank You for Your Support or Encouragement
- Thank you for your prayers messages
- Thank you for your concern
Note: This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a commission if you click a link and then make a purchase.
Thank You Message Template For Difficult Times
The template below can be used as you write your thank you messages during or after a difficult time.
Remember that the best thank you notes are personalized to the situation. So, use the template as a start and modify the wording for your situation.
The Template
Dear [Person’s Name],
Thank you for your support during this difficult time. I am grateful for [how the person supported you]. You’ve made a positive difference in my life [or another compliment]. [If they provided money or food or something else, thank them for that too].
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Tips
- For more information on what to include in a thank you message, read through how to write a good thank-you note.
- The examples below are only thank you part of the note. If writing a handwritten note or email, you’ll still want to include the opening, closing, and sign your name.
- You can write a letter instead of the typical one-paragraph thank you note if you have a lot to say. Your letter can include two or more paragraphs.
- Use Grammarly (free or paid version) to make sure your grammar is perfect.
- For handwritten notes, there are plenty of note cards to choose from. I recommend Minted (fancy), Redbubble (unique), or Amazon (low-cost boxed sets).
Example Thank You Messages for Difficult Times
#1 Thank you for helping my family during the recent tough time while my car was being repaired. Please accept my heartfelt thanks and know how much we appreciated the rides to school and work. I hope to have enough flexibility in my schedule someday to help someone else when their car is out of commission. I’m so glad that you are part of my story. You are a great friend!
Related: Say thank you after borrowing a car
#2 You’re a wonderful friend, and you have my gratitude. Thank you for supporting me when I was without transportation. I’m so glad that my car is fixed! I really appreciate all the rides you gave me.
#3 Thank you for your recent support. I didn’t expect to have such a difficult time turning fifty. Thank you for encouraging me and cheering me up! I am happy to share that I no longer feel depressed and hope to make the most of my fifties. At your suggestion, I will be planning a trip to Alaska soon.
#4 Thank you so much for supporting me through my mid-life crisis. I appreciate you for being a real friend and listening whenever I needed to talk through what was on my mind. As a small token of my gratitude, I want to take you out for dinner at your favorite restaurant soon.
#5 I want to let you know how much I appreciate you and your support. Thank you for sending the beautiful flowers when I was feeling down last week. Being home alone now that Johnny has moved out has been a difficult adjustment.
Divorce Thank You Messages
#1 Thank you for supporting me during this difficult time. You have my sincerest thanks for all the kind words you’ve said to me during the past month as I’ve gone through this divorce. I appreciate you sharing your experience with me, as given me hope that I can one day be happy again.
#2 Thank you for your kind support while I transition to living on my own. The divorce was not easy on me, and I will be happy when this difficult time is behind me. I want you to know how much appreciation I have for you as I start this next season of life. As I have struggled, you’ve been my best friend throughout the past year. I feel lucky to have you in my life!
#3 Thank you so much for being a dear friend. Getting divorced wasn’t something I ever expected to happen. Thank you for being there for me and attending the lawyer meetings with me. Your support made a big difference and helped me have the confidence to get through the legal side of the split.
#4 The last few months have been hard for me. Thank you for supporting me as I take on the tasks that [spouse name] used to do before we divorced. I’m thankful to have a strong friendship with you and a few of the other neighbors. Also, I am grateful that your kids mowed my lawn when I was too depressed to care about how my yard looked. They are great kids, and their simple act of taking care of my yard was very much appreciated.
#5 As I move forward as a single person again, I want to thank you for your support during the last year as [Spouse Name] and I separated and divorced. You are one of only a few people that know the details of everything we went through. Thank you for keeping our business to yourself. Your compassion and thoughtful words are much appreciated. I’m glad we’ve become such good friends during my hardship.
Surgery, Hospital Stay, or Injury Thank You Messages
Related: Thank You for the Meals, Flowers, or Visit After Hospital Stay
#1 I wanted to thank you for all your support and generosity while I’ve been recovering from knee surgery. Of course, I never planned to have a running injury. I am grateful for the time you spent with me while I was stuck on the couch. And thank you for bringing me meals. This past month has been tough for me, but having you as a best friend has made it easier.
#2 I am very thankful for your support in this challenging time of recovery following dental surgery. The macaroni and cheese you brought yesterday was excellent, and I felt like it was the first nutritious meal I’ve had since the procedure.
#3 Thank you for caring for me for a few days after I was in the hospital. I am very thankful for your support so that I could recover at home instead of at the rehab center. You never made me feel like I was a burden, even though I am sure I was! Please accept this gift card [which would be included with the thank you note] as a token of my appreciation.
#4 You are a good friend, and I feel like you’ve become a family member. Thank you for providing meals and support to my family while I was in the hospital. They all said the food was great! Of course, you’ve felt like a family member for years, but now that you stayed with my kids for a week, it feels official. You were also a great example to them by showing them that healthy meals can taste good.
#5 Thank you for supporting my family when we moved. The move took much longer than planned, and I’m glad you could keep the kids for a few hours. Also, we were happy that Ted was able to bring his truck and strong arms.
Job Loss Thank You Messages
#1 Not having a job has been hard for me. Thank you for your support, patience, and understanding while I job search. Taking the time to teach me how to submit online applications was terrific. You are such a caring person, and I appreciate your encouragement. Hopefully, I will have a new job very soon!
#2 Your flexibility in the past month is very much appreciated. I am thankful that you’ve been able to drive me to job interviews while I am without transportation. Not having a reliable car is a huge inconvenience when job searching! The time and support you’ve given me feel like an incredible gift and blessing.
#3 Thank you for supporting me when I lost my job. Taking me out to dinner and encouraging me was exactly what I needed. Also, I followed your job search tips and have secured two interviews for next week. So, I am feeling excited about what life has in store for me next.
#4 Thanks for being there for me when I lost my position at [Company Name]. The layoffs were a surprise to my department. I appreciate you for listening when I found out. It’s been a difficult time, and I am grateful for your support.
#5 Thank you for helping me and providing support when my position was eliminated at work. You’ve been my rock as I get back on my feet. I am happy to share that the job search is going well.
During Time of Loss of a Loved One Thank You Messages
Note: If you need to thank the person for attending a funeral, you can find example wording in the post for after the funeral thank-you notes.
#1 Thank you for your support while I navigate this difficult time. Losing my mom is very hard and feels overwhelming. I appreciate you for taking the time to send me encouraging text messages. They have been a bright spot in my days and helped me beat the depression.
#2 Thank you for your recent support. My sister’s passing has been extremely hard for me. I appreciate the condolences, phone calls, text messages, and the sympathy card. I have so much gratitude for you and our friendship. May God bless you.
#3 You’ve been a tremendous support for me in my time of need. Thank you for being available and supporting me when my Dad died suddenly. I was grateful for your presence at the funeral and calling hours. I felt comforted by your kind words and smile. Also, thank you for ensuring that I ate the week following Dad’s death. This entire month has been so difficult.
#4 I want to let you know how much I appreciate being given extra days off when my mom died. Losing her has been the hardest time of my life. I am thankful to you for allowing me the time I needed to grieve and process her passing. When I return next week, I will express my gratitude to the team for covering for me.
#5 Thank you for your support during our time of loss. Your words of comfort, meals, helping with the kids, and encouragement have meant a lot to us. We are thankful to have your family in our lives. Also, thank you for attending the funeral and dinner afterward. We will never forget all that you did for us following the passing of [Person’s Name].
Summary
During difficult or challenging times, you may want to express gratitude to those who have or are providing support.
Writing a thank-you note is one way to let people know their support is appreciated. Examples are provided to help you say thank you for your support during this difficult time.
Related:
Heidi has been writing thank you notes for more than 30 years and is the author of A Modern Guide to Writing Thank-You Notes. Her goal is to help people write better thank-you notes by providing tips and examples.