Sensitive card greeting

[CherryB]

What would you write in a Christmas card to an elderly French neighbour and friend who has lost her husband recently? We have already written a condolences card and seen her in person once but we are aware that this first Christmas without her husband will be a difficult time for her and we want to send our love in a sympathetic way. Just saying “Joyeux Noel” doesn’t seem appropriate.

In fact I always find it difficult to send an ordinary, “have a great time, lots of love from…” sort of ending in Christmas and birthday cards without sounding formal anyway so suggestions there too please.

[idun]

Firstly it won't be expected as christmas cards are not a french thing. Where I lived New Year's cards were sent to people that one wasn't seeing or speaking to, and that could be up to the end of January.

Maybe a New Year's card would be better?

[CherryB]

Well yes, I agree except that we have sent a card each Christmas for the last 15 years and (to a separate address) to her daughter and family and they have all sent us New Year cards in the New Year. Having got ourselves, rightly or wrongly, into the routine of respecting our own country's "norm" it might seem strange to change now. What do you think? 

[CherryB]

I might add that we won't be seeing any of them until Easter and I am sending these cards from the UK.

[idun]

Well just send it then and say that you are thinking about her and her family, that should cover it.

[Russethouse]

Here (in the Uk) I would say that I would be thinking of them over the festive period and that I was looking  forward to seeing them at Easter

[CherryB]

Sorry, I'm not making myself clear. I'm not confident that my French is up to getting this message over sensitively, I don't want to sound crass so would like help in phrasing it in French please!

[Loiseau]

Something along the lines of:

"Nous vous souhaitons une bonne année 2012, et avons beaucoup de pensées pour vous."

perhaps?

It's hard to go full-on into the "bonne et heureuse année" thing if you don't think she could expect to be feeling very heureuse.

Often in the Vendee people add a heartfelt "et surtout une bonne santé", but if she's lost someone through illness, maybe that isn't good.

Friends often include "pleine de joie et de bonheur, et de réussite dans tous vos projets", but there again, that doesn't seem to hit the spot here.

Angela

[EuroTrashII]

Yes, keep it simple. It's the thought that counts. How about Toutes nos pensées, meilleures voeux pour l’année 2012, something like that. Or you could try Nous vous souhaitons une bonne fête de Noel et meilleure année 2012.

That's why New Year cards are easier to write - there's something to wish people.

[CherryB]

Thank you for all the suggestion. These ideas are very helpful, I am not fluent so thought I should check that anything I wrote would not sound unintentially insensitive.