This morning, my daughter's teacher stopped me in the hallway to say thank you. He had just seen the message that I'd posted in the online guest book for his mother, who died a couple of weeks ago. "I didn't even realize that it existed until my sister showed me," he said, and seemed moved that I had taken the time to find the guest book and sign it.

His thank you was a good reminder for me that it doesn't take much. Even a short message of condolence ("I'm so sorry for your loss" or "You're in our thoughts") from an acquaintance can be of comfort to someone who is grieving. We get busy and don't always take the time. But fortunately, it doesn't take much. ~Jessica

Here are a few simple things you can do or say to offer sympathy and support:

• Attend the visitation or funeral, if possible, even if it makes you uncomfortable.

• Lend a helping hand, help out with grocery shopping, carpooling or other chores. There are things you can do to help, even from far away.

• Make a memorial donation in honor of the deceased, or send sympathy flowers.

• Keep in touch. Send an e-mail or card, leave a phone message, let the bereaved know you are thinking of them in the months after. Reach out to the survivors on the deceased's birthday, holidays like Mother's Day or Father's Day, or the anniversary of the death.

• Reminisce and celebrate the deceased's life, and share memories, photos and other reminders of the deceased.

• Listen. What you say is important, but sometimes listening to the bereaved and letting them tell their story is the best thing you can do.

Image: "listen & love" (Flickr Creative Commons / denise carbonell)