Editor, Gazette-Journal:

Every year as we get closer to another holiday season, I begin to have the same thoughts … so here goes.

All of us are fortunate to live in a small, rural area. Most of us want to live where we do. We have neighbors, long-lasting relationships with people and families that span decades.

As people age, their friendships decrease; not because they don’t have friends anymore, but because those friends may have entered a nursing home, rehabilitation center or an assisted living community.

People need human contact. We all know that. What bothers me the most is the folks that live in a communal setting can be so easily forgotten about by people that used to be neighbors, friends, business partners, etc. If you only visit during the holidays, shame on you.

People are worth remembering all the time, whether someone suffers from a dementia-related illness or a physical disability, do not forget them. Would you want to be forgotten when you are old? Th...