Dear Eric: Three of us attended high school together and remained close friends for many decades, even though we sometimes lived quite far from each other.
A few years ago, “Beth” had some medical problems that were exacerbated by COVID, and she had to retire unexpectedly from a fulfilling job. She fell into a deep depression and withdrew from us. We kept in touch with her family, who updated us about her ups and downs. They let us know that it wasn’t just us. She isolated herself from everyone, even some of her own family. She tried therapy and anti-depressants, but nothing seemed to work.
We sent gifts, cards of encouragement, emails, texts. Nothing has been acknowledged for at least a couple of years. Our last phone calls were over four years ago…