A dear old friend of mine recently returned to the Vancouver area, where he is living alone in a barn that he turned into a beautiful studio apartment a few years ago. Although I know maybe no one more ‘out and about’ than my buddy, he told me he was concerned that if something happened to him while he was at home, it might be days before anyone found out about it.

He came up with a good plan. Every morning we would send a little text to one another conveying news of our continued existence. (I live alone, too.) It’s become a favourite part of my day.

My friend and I are heading into week three of trying to schedule lunch, so these morning greetings are especially happy ones to me. You can’t make new old friends.