NOWADAYS many people lead busy and insular lives, and it has meant the lack of contact between city and country cousins.

For me, a way of overcoming this has been to send regular emails of our rural happenings.

Our city cousins and friends seem to think our life interesting and different, and they contact me to be put on my email list.

We own a dairy farming enterprise, so of course there are always stories to tell of calves and cows and things that happen.

I try not to grizzle with what goes on, as so many people in society are far worse off.

But I find townsfolk wonder how we are coping with the 10-year drought, water issues, milk prices, and whether rain has fallen.

City cousins are also interested in our community involvement, and the projects and events that we help organise. They are amazed at the people we know, the contacts we have and the achievements our community groups make.

The emails I write often help me reflect on how lucky we are to live in a small rural community, how interesting and stimulating our choice of life has been, and how resilient we have become through difficult circumstances.

Family and friends are all important and whether they are next door, or away in the big smoke, nowadays there is no excuse for not keeping in contact and having an understanding of one another's lives.

Communication narrows the gulf between city and country.

Denise Morrison, Cohuna, Victoria