I cared about my friends. I just kept forgetting to call.

I used to think losing touch meant something had gone wrong. An argument, perhaps, or two people becoming very different. With my friends, it was quieter than that. I would see something they would find funny, think I should call, and carry on with whatever was in front of me.

Then someone would mention a job I thought they had only just started. They had been there for months. I knew the broad outline of their life, but I was missing the ordinary bits we used to hear over lunch. The group chat was still active. That made it surprisingly easy to feel as though we had caught up when we hadn't.

I started with three people in Relationshipss. I chose a fortnightly rhythm for one friend and monthly for the others. Those were my guesses about what would fit our lives, not rules about how close we were. Having a short list felt manageable in a way that trying to be better at every friendship did not.

When a friend appeared in Today, I sent a message asking whether they had time for a walk that week. We still had to find a day. Once we met, I recorded the catch-up so the next reminder would start from then. I had to remember that small step too.

Some weeks I choose Later. Some messages wait for a reply. What feels useful is having the intention somewhere I can return to, instead of expecting myself to remember it at exactly the moment I have time. I still decide who to call, and I still have to pick up the phone.