It’s true, of course, that we need friends who we live life closely alongside. But I think there is a case to be made for keeping the more distant friendships ticking along too, even when they remind us of the everyday intimacies that have been lost. Because life takes people from us all the time. The husband or wife we share everything with might leave the world before we do. The friends we see every week could relocate to new cities, maybe even new countries. Colleagues move on to new jobs. Kids leave home. Parents die too young. When any – or all – of these things happen, we might be grateful that we tolerated the mundanity of a WhatsApp group and diary dates; all the little gestures that sustained our friendships when we needed them less, so they survive to hold us when we need them more. That shouldn’t be the only motivation to make an effort – after all, it’s a selfish one – but it’s useful to remember, every now and again, when we’re sleep-deprived or overworked and the easier option is to let friendships fade. Because one day, when we’re walking in a park with a friend who can access an older version of us, and we find something silly to laugh about together in the April sunlight, it might save us, or them, in some small way.