Catching up with important far-away friends helps us gather the bigger picture. Even if just summarizing what’s going on in your life, when you’re telling the person about it, you’re not getting caught up in the day-to-day minutia. Or sometimes you are, if those details really are that important. The conversation makes that clear, as it so often isn’t when we’re caught up in daily living. We are definitely social creatures, and prioritizing that interaction helps us feel at peace, and at home.