Hold your grandparent’s hand a little longer than you used to. You’ll be glad you did.

Physical closeness with the older people in your family tends to shrink as you grow, not because anything went wrong but because hugging your grandmother stops being automatic somewhere around thirteen. Nobody decides that. The habit simply lapses, and the chance to restart it is always now rather than at some better moment.

If it feels awkward, let it be awkward for three seconds. Stay a beat longer in the hug, keep hold of the hand while you talk. There is no need to explain why you are doing it.