Also, consider acknowledging that this moment is awful and tough and there are hard emotions all around. It will be helpful for them to be reminded that they’re not alone in the grief and fear that this diagnosis is bringing, nor is their 50-year union defined by it.

In today's Asking Eric column, R. Eric Thomas responds to someone who wants to support a longtime friend battling terminal cancer, but isn't sure how to do so.

Many greeting cards for anniversaries have sentiments like, “Happy Anniversary,” followed by “...and for many more years”.

"Any suggestions about what to write? Even if I found one with a printed message, I’d like to put in a personal note."

We are very good friends with a couple we have known for more than 50 years. Their anniversary is approaching, and I usually send a card. The problem is that the husband has terminal cancer and is unlikely to live out the year (pancreatic cancer – no one I know who has had this has lived out the year).