Why is it that people always have time to go to a funeral but don’t take the time to visit someone special while they’re still alive?

In today's Dear Abby column, a dutiful daughter seeks advice on how to get her mom's grandchildren to visit her more often.

The problem is the eight grandchildren. Most of them live nearby and are either too busy or say they can’t stand to visit Grandma “in the home.”

My 98-year-old mother has spent the last eight years in a nursing home. My siblings and I placed her there when her health declined to a point where

My worry is that someday they’ll realize the mistake they made by not visiting her while she can still carry on a meaningful conversation. Mom never complains, but she has said she’d like to see or hear more from relatives.