Advice Miss Manners: Is it necessary to write notes of sympathy on cards specially designed for the purpose? Published: Sep. 16, 2024, 8:00 p.m.

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.

Simple sympathy thank you cards usually cost between $.25-$.75 with more involved designs going for $.75-$2.50. The rare, individually sold sympathy thank you card can cost as much as $15.

For more painterly cards, editor Ria Misra recommends Red Cap Cards, which works with several artists and offers unique designs (tip: if you buy boxed sets, they’re cheaper than individual orders).

Simple sympathy thank you cards usually cost between $.25-$.75 with more involved designs going for $.75-$2.50. The rare, individually sold sympathy thank you card can cost as much as $15.

A simple card can go a long way to cheering someone up but it can be hard to know what you should say. To someone who's grieving Grief is one of the most difficult emotions to deal with.

But with the number of COVID-19 deaths continuing to climb, sympathy cards are as scarce as two-ply toilet paper. Of course, a message of sympathy can just as easily be sent inside any card.