No one deliberately says something hurtful to someone diagnosed with a disease. But sometimes, it comes out, and it's hard to stop.

Remember, most people with a chronic illness will likely always be ill. What they need most are consistent friends who show up in their lives and let them know, "I am still here. I am thinking of you."

If it takes a village to raise a child, you might say it also takes one to care for the sick. Cancer is at once personal and communal. And yet, caring for the sick can feel like writing a travelogue about a country you've never visited. You can't know where you haven't been.

Have a loved one diagnosed with depression? Cancer? The thought of talking to that person can be scary and awkward. What do you say? What is polite, a...