A woman lay dead in a house in Sydney, Australia, for eight years and her body was only found by police in July 2011. She died in early 2004. This newsbite was difficult to digest as one wondered how no one could have visited her for so many years. She was supposedly a recluse. She had fallen down one day and was unable to pick herself up. The image of her lying on the ground, unable or unwilling to call for help, makes me feel sick to the stomach.

Then it gets worse. She left no will and her sister-in-law and four distant cousins are making a claim on her estate. Where were they when she was alive? And if they weren’t in touch, why do they want to have anything to do with her now? Her sister-in-law says she saw her last from a bus window and that there was no reason why they had stopped talking other than she was kept busy tending to her husband who suffered from dementia.

I strongly feel it is important for families to stay together and support each other in times of need. We all have our differences of opinion but we should never let things get so out of hand that we are not even on talking terms.

If familial relations are strained beyond repair, then we must make sure we have a network of friends whom we can depend on. Staying in touch is very important. This requires effort but it is definitely worth the trouble. I have seen friends coming to the rescue of someone in need. Or even students coming forward to help an aged teacher whom they have great respect for. She might be old and frail now but they have not forgotten that she made them what they are today. Little acts of kindness mean a lot when they are carried out in a timely manner.

Back home, children grow up seeing their parents looking after an aged relative. There is no need to remind the young ones that this is something we all must be prepared to do. I am sure that most parents nowadays do not expect to be looked after by their children when they are too old to manage by themselves. But lesson have unwittingly been learnt and, when the time comes, they will rise to the occasion. At least I would like to think so.

It is easy to say ‘I don’t need anyone to look after me, I can look after myself’. But pride often goes before a fall. No one knows what the future holds and complacency is not the answer.

It would be wise to invest in the future now and sow seeds that will take root in the future. One of the things we can do is to stay on cordial terms with relatives as far as possible. Let bygones be bygones. Don’t hold on to a grudge for too long. As for friends, make it a point of keeping in touch. Sometimes it is easier to let off steam in the company of people who know you well and who will lend a sympathetic ear when you are upset over a perceived injustice. There is a common saying about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. I beg to differ. Just stick to friends and family and don’t waste your time keeping a close eye on foes. I prefer the Oscar Wilde quote: “Always forgive your enemies. Nothing annoys them as much.”

So, take time out to keep in touch with friends and relatives. Don’t let time be your worst enemy. The worst feeling is regret over ‘if onlys’.

Think of a friend whom you haven’t seen or got in touch with for long and say hello. Regaining connection is a powerful experience, with the virtuous feeling from having made the first move a bonus.