A familiar voice on a regular day can matter more than a rushed visit on a special one.

Occasions get the attention because they are visible. But a person alone most of the week is not sustained by a crowded Christmas; they are sustained by the Tuesday phone call that comes when it always comes. Regularity is what makes company feel like part of a life rather than an event.

Pick a day and a time and call the same person every week, even briefly. Say you will do it, and then do it, because the reliability is most of the value. Five ordinary minutes on a fixed day will do more than an afternoon that has to be arranged each time.