DEAR ABBY: I find it difficult to lie. This trait suits me well except in one area. When friends or family share information about being ill, experiencing a death or any sort of tragedy, almost everyone else responds with, "You're in my prayers."
I am an atheist and do not claim I will pray for those individuals because that would be lying. So what is the proper response when prayer is off the table? -- TEXAS READER
DEAR READER: A proper response would be, "I'm sorry for what you're going through," "I'll send positive thoughts for So-and-So's recovery," or, "How sad. I'm sorry to hear it."