We are busy people. Every one has his or her own life to live, a job to take care of, mouths to feed, dreams to work hard for...and in the hustle and bustle of life, we tend to forget we belong to a family.

I was dumbstruck when I first knew that my sister who was older than me by 3 years had been diagnosed with breast cancer. All at once, life seemed to be so short and mortal. When I heard this news, my mind seemed to go back in time, rewinding back the moments I have had with my sister when we were young. There she was then, still a student nurse in England, while I was in secondary school. She was the one who remembered my birthday, sending me a present by parcel post, making my day. Gosh! It has been such a long time I have had spent time with my sister again. It has been years!

Indeed, when was it the last time you have had made an effort to spend time with your loved ones - perhaps your wife, or your parents, your brothers and sisters...or your closest friends?

We need to let the hustle and bustle of life move on their own, and get back a semblance of what is called "relationship". We must let the many voices of the world that draw us away from the togetherness and love of family and close friends to fade away in the background.

You will find the togetherness that can come from being with a loved one to really fill a vacuum of personal bonding to be very real when you make a conscious effort to be with him or her.

Do not let the voices of the world drown those bonds, but strive to establish bonds of love and togetherness with members of your family.

To me, it is time to make that telephone call to all the members of my family and to make the first step to renew those bonds. What about you?