Reasons to Write a Condolence Letter. It's easy to pick up a mass-produced sympathy card from a local store, but writing one with your own personal, heartfelt words is often more meaningful.

Writing a sympathy card for a friend or family member who has lost a loved one can be difficult. Here are 40 sweet and sensitive messages to send.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am wondering if it would be crass or in poor taste to give a new widow a thoughtful sympathy card with ...

Is it okay to write R.I.P. in a sympathy card or in a comment on social media as a response to someone announcing a death of a loved one? GENTLE READER: It feels a bit curt in a condolence letter.

It is peculiar to think that a mass stamped expression -- “Sympathy,” or in the case of letters of thanks, “Thank you” -- is better than the personal, handwritten word.