Get Well Soon Messages and Wishes: What to Write in a Get Well Card

Get well soon messages do not need to be long or perfect to mean a lot. When someone is sick, injured or recovering from a procedure, a card with a few warm lines tells them that people are thinking of them and want to help.

Below are simple steps for what to write in a get well card, followed by get well soon wishes you can copy for friends, family, coworkers and kids, plus prayers, NIV Bible verses and a few quotes.

Article contents

• How to Write a Get Well Card
• Short Get Well Soon Messages
• Speedy Recovery Messages and Wishes
• Get Well Soon Messages for a Friend
• Get Well Soon Messages for Family
• Get Well Soon Messages for a Coworker or Boss
• Get Well Soon Messages for a Child
• Funny Get Well Soon Messages
• Thinking of You Messages for a Serious or Long Illness
• Get Well Soon Prayers and Bible Verses
• Get Well Soon Quotes
• Phrases to Leave Out of a Get Well Card
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Write a Get Well Card

Most get well cards need only three or four sentences. These steps work for nearly any situation.

1. Start with their name. A simple "Dear Maria" or "Hi Sam" makes the card feel personal from the first line.
2. Say that you are thinking of them. You do not need to name the illness or injury. A line such as "We have been thinking about you all week" is enough.
3. Offer something specific if you can. A meal, a ride, a dog walk or a visit is more useful than "let me know if you need anything."
4. Close with a warm wish and your name. "Feel better soon," "Wishing you a speedy recovery" and "Sending love" all work well.

Here is an example that follows these steps: "Dear Tom, we have been thinking about you all week. I will drop off dinner on Thursday, so please do not worry about cooking. Rest up and feel better soon. Love, Carol"

Short Get Well Soon Messages

A short message is often the best choice for a group card or for someone you do not know well. These also work as feel better soon messages.

• Thinking of you and wishing you a quick recovery.
• Get well soon. We miss you.
• Feel better soon. You are in our thoughts.
• Wishing you rest, comfort and better days ahead.
• Hoping each day brings you a little more strength.
• Take it easy and let others take care of you for a while.
• Sending love and hoping you are back on your feet soon.
• Get well soon. Everyone here is rooting for you.

Speedy Recovery Messages and Wishes

Speedy recovery wishes fit a short illness, an injury or a planned procedure, when you expect the person to be back to their usual routine before long.

• Wishing you a speedy recovery and plenty of rest.
• Sending best wishes for a speedy recovery. We will see you soon.
• Wishing you a fast and easy recovery. Take all the time you need.
• Here is to a speedy recovery and a lot of good naps.
• I hope you are feeling stronger every day. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Speedy Recovery Messages After Surgery

For someone recovering from an operation, keep the message simple and focused on rest.

• Glad to hear the surgery went well. Wishing you an easy recovery.
• Thinking of you as you heal. Take it one day at a time.
• We are so glad you are through the hard part. Now it is time to rest.
• Sending healing thoughts and hoping you are back to yourself soon.
• Wishing you a smooth recovery. Let us know when you are up for visitors.
• Take it slow and let us spoil you for a while.

For more ideas, see our full list of get well soon messages after surgery.

Get Well Soon Messages for a Friend

With a close friend, you can be more personal. Mention a shared routine or plan something for them to look forward to.

• I am sorry you are going through this. I am here for whatever you need.
• Get well soon. Our Tuesday walks are not the same without you.
• Thinking of you and sending lots of love. I will call this weekend.
• Rest up, my friend. I have a stack of movies ready for when you feel up to it.
• Coffee is on me as soon as you are ready to get out of the house.
• I miss our long talks. Feel better soon so we can catch up properly.
• I left some soup at your door. No need to answer, just rest.

Get Well Soon Messages for Family

Messages for family can be warm and personal. Let them know everyone at home is thinking of them.

Get Well Messages for Mom

• Mom, we are all thinking of you and cannot wait to see you home again.
• You take care of everyone else. Now it is our turn to take care of you, Mom.
• Get well soon, Mom. The kitchen is not the same without you.
• Mom, I am so proud of how strong you are. I love you and I am here for you.

Get Well Messages for Dad

• Dad, take all the time you need to rest. We have everything covered here.
• Get well soon, Dad. The yard can wait, and so can the gutters.
• Dad, you are always the one fixing things. Let us handle things for a while.
• Rest up, Dad. Your recliner and the remote are waiting for you.

Get Well Messages for a Grandparent

• Grandma, we are sending all our love and hoping you feel stronger every day.
• Grandpa, we miss your stories. Get well soon so we can hear more of them.
• Thinking of you, Grandma. The kids drew you some pictures to brighten your room.
• We love you, Grandpa. Sending hugs from all of us and wishing you a quick recovery.

Get Well Soon Messages for a Coworker or Boss

Keep a work card kind and brief. Many people prefer privacy about their health at work, so it is best not to mention the illness or ask for details.

Messages for a Coworker

• Wishing you a quick recovery. We are thinking of you.
• Get well soon. The office is not the same without you.
• Take the time you need to rest. We have things covered here.
• Do not worry about your inbox. Just focus on feeling better.
• Get well soon. Lunch is on us when you are back.

Messages for a Boss

• Wishing you a speedy recovery. The team is thinking of you.
• Please take all the time you need. We will keep things running here.
• Sending best wishes for a quick recovery from everyone in the department.
• We appreciate everything you do for us. Rest up and feel better soon.
• Get well soon. We look forward to seeing you back in the office.

Get Well Soon Messages for a Child

Keep messages for kids short, cheerful and easy to read. A small drawing or a sticker inside the card adds to the fun.

• Get well soon! Your friends miss you at school.
• Sending you a big hug and lots of get well wishes.
• Rest up, superstar. We cannot wait to play with you again.
• Feel better soon. Your bike is waiting for you.
• Get well soon! Even your teddy bear is wishing you a quick recovery.
• Being sick is no fun, so we are sending a smile your way.
• You are so brave. Sending you love and a big high five.

Funny Get Well Soon Messages

Save humor for a minor illness or injury and for someone you know well. Keep the jokes about everyday life, such as chores, TV or the couch, and leave the illness itself out of it.

• Sorry you are under the weather. Please get well soon so I have someone to complain to again.
• Get well soon. The couch misses you too much to let you go.
• Hope you are feeling better. Your cat has been asking about you.
• Get well soon. This card is not a get out of chores free card forever.
• I would have brought you soup, but you have tasted my cooking. Here is a card instead.
• Take it easy. You have officially earned full control of the remote.
• Get well soon. I am running out of people who laugh at my jokes.

Thinking of You Messages for a Serious or Long Illness

When someone is facing cancer, a long treatment or an illness with an uncertain outcome, "get well soon" may not fit. A thinking of you message lets them know you care without making promises about how things will go. Keep the focus on your support and leave predictions out of the card.

• Thinking of you and sending strength for the days ahead.
• I am here for you, today and in the months ahead.
• Sending love and hoping today is a good day.
• You do not have to reply to this card. I just want you to know I care.
• I will be by on Saturday with coffee and a good book, if you are up for it.
• I am not going anywhere. Whatever you need, I am here.
• If you want company, I am happy to sit with you. If you want quiet, I understand that too.

Get Well Soon Prayers and Bible Verses

Use these for someone who shares your faith. Write a short prayer or verse at the top of the card and add your own get well wish below it.

Religious Get Well Messages

• We are praying for your healing and a quick recovery.
• You are in our prayers every day. May God give you strength and comfort.
• Praying that each day brings you more healing and peace.
• May God's grace surround you as you recover.
• Our whole church family is praying for you and sending love.

Short Get Well Prayers

You can write these short prayers in a card as they are, with the person's name in place of [Name].

• Dear Lord, please wrap [Name] in your comfort and give rest, strength and healing. Amen.
• Heavenly Father, we ask for your healing hand on [Name]. Calm every worry and fill each day with your peace. Amen.
• Lord, thank you for [Name]. Please restore health and strength, and let [Name] feel your love in every moment. Amen.

Get Well Bible Verses

These verses are from the New International Version (NIV).

• "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well." (3 John 1:2)
• "The LORD sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness." (Psalm 41:3)
• "Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise." (Jeremiah 17:14)
• "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)
• "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3)
• "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (Proverbs 17:22)

For more, see our Bible verses of encouragement.

Get Well Soon Quotes

A short quote can sit at the top of the card, with your own message written underneath. These lines come from well-known writers whose work is now in the public domain.

• "Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it." (Helen Keller, Optimism)
• "Give me health and a day, and I will make the pomp of emperors ridiculous." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature)
• "Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Society and Solitude)

Phrases to Leave Out of a Get Well Card

A few common phrases can land the wrong way, even when they are kindly meant. It is best to leave these out of a get well card.

1. Questions about the diagnosis or medical details. Let the person share what they want, when they want.
2. "Everything happens for a reason." This line can feel dismissive to someone who is hurting.
3. "You will be fine" or "You will beat this." No one can promise how an illness will go, and the person may feel pressure to live up to it.
4. "Stay positive." It can feel like a request to hide how they really feel.
5. "Let me know if you need anything" on its own. Most people will not ask, so a specific offer is easier to accept.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I write in a get well card?

Write the person's name, a line saying you are thinking of them, a specific offer of help if you can make one, and a warm closing such as "Feel better soon." Three or four sentences is plenty, and you do not need to mention the illness itself.

Should I mention the illness in a get well card?

You do not need to. "Thinking of you" and "Wishing you a speedy recovery" work for almost any situation and respect the person's privacy. If they have shared the details openly with you, a brief mention is fine.

What should I write if the person may not recover?

Skip "get well soon" and avoid predictions about the outcome. Write that you are thinking of them and that you care, and offer a visit or a call if it is welcome. Simple, honest words are enough.

When should I send a get well card?

Send it as soon as you hear the news. A second card a few weeks later is also kind, because the first wave of cards and visits usually slows down.

For more ideas, see our thinking of you messages and words of encouragement, our get well soon messages after surgery and our collection of get well cards.

It helps to keep a few blank cards on hand. The Butterfly Garden cards are blank inside and out, and the Birds of America cards are another blank set that suits a get well message. Both come with envelopes and are printed on 100% recycled paper.