Reach out and grab them! "We've been friends for over 40 years.Try To Write The Letter By Hand. (1)Address the letter to the family member or members. (2)Acknowledge the loss. Expressing sympathy is a way to show you care when someone faces the loss of a friend or loved one. A simple "I'm sorry" is sometimes the only thing that is necessary to say. And we are never the same. " My dear friend will never be forgotten.