family and friends

This is some of my family. At least the family that is now left in Michigan. I went home for dinner today and suddenly my step dad got teary eyed. I was surprised and nervous about he situation- seeing men cry is not the easiest thing. He said that he felt overwhelmed with sadness- that he felt he was losing touch with people- that he wishes he was better at communicating and keeping friendships alive, to nurture the relationship with his children. It made me think about my own relationships. Am I trying hard enough to keep my friendships alive? Are a few phone calls a month enough to really stay united? Also when it comes to him, are weekly phonecalls or meetings enough or too much? What kind of relationship am i nurturing? Its difficult to say really. all i know is that your real friend- your real loves- your family- will be there, even if you don't talk, even if you don't see each other, somehow magically that bond never ceases to exist.