It's natural to want to help a bereaved family during their time of loss, but whether you should put money in a sympathy card ...

I make it a point to write something thoughtful, including a memory of the deceased and a statement of my appreciation of him ...

I have found that writing acknowledgment letters has been very helpful to me as I have coped with the grief of losing friends ...

I make it a point to write something thoughtful, including a memory of the deceased and a statement of my appreciation of him or her. I would never send a preprinted, store-bought condolence card.