BUDDY-UP

Today is three years since my mother first collapsed on her living room floor. But because someone eventually found her, she lived for exactly five more months, months for which I’m extremely grateful.

Now that I’ve had this much time since that horrible day, I realized that I want to turn it into a positive by possible saving someone else’s life with this advice.

Please check-in with a buddy, like these Bye Bye Birdie girls do.

I want to urge everyone who lives alone, young and old, to make a plan with a buddy to check in every day. It may be a matter of life and death!

I’m not trying to scare anyone, but this is a really important concept. I’ve heard of people whose relatives or friends were discovered alone in their homes, already deceased. Who knows if they would still be on this level of life if one of their pals had known to call the paramedics because they hadn’t heard from them.

So, my advice is short and sweet—just make a plan with another pal who lives alone to check in once a day. Doing it at the same time might be best. Perhaps right before going to bed, or in the morning. It may sound a bit nutty and paranoid, but if you wind-up needing the attention, you’ll be glad you did it. (And it’s just a matter of a quick phone call or text or email. No need to make it dramatic; just a quick “hi.”)

So, solo-livers, find that buddy right now, without delay. ‘Nuff said.