Investing in Relationships

With aging comes the loss of important people in our lives.  Once people leave work, many find that they no longer have much contact with work friends.  Parents and elderly relatives pass away.  And we even experience the loss of  people who are around our age, or perhaps even younger. 

Our social network in retirement is critical to our sense of well being.  Maintaining it and building upon it is pretty important.   This weekend we took the time to visit one of our nieces who lives a good day's drive away.  We recognize that, since we have no children of our own, it is important to enhance our relationships with members of the next generation within our family.  These relationships don't just happen.  While they obviously have to be built upon mutual interests and regard, there is no time like the present to make this a priority.

How can you ensure, as you move into your 70s and 80s,  that you have a strong and supportive social network?  Are there family members that you could become closer to, especially in the next generation?  Family plays a critical role in our lives; nurturing and building up our relationships with family, can only be of mutual benefit as time passes on.