Another reason for increased contact was anxiety about a sister's or brother's declining health. Many would call more often to “check in" and see how the other was doing. Men especially reported feeling increased responsibility for a sibling; women were more likely to cite emotional motivations such as feelings of empathy and security. Siblings also assume special imporțance as other sources of contact and support dwindle. Each of us moves through life with a "convoy" of people who supply comfort and nurturance, says psychologist Toni C. Antonucci of the University of Michigan. As we age, the size of the convoy gradually declines because of death, sickness or moving. “Brothers and sisters who may not have been important convoy members earlier in life can become so in old age," Gold says. And they do more than fill in gaps. Many people told Gold that the loneliness they felt could not be satisfied by just anyone. They wanted a specific type of relationship, one that only someone who had shared their past could provide. This far-reaching link to the past is a powerful bond between siblings in later life. "There's a review process we all go through in old age to resolve whether we are pleased with our lives," Gold explains. "A sibling can help retrieve a memory and validate our experiences. People have said to me, 'I can remember some with my spouse or with friends. But the only person who goes all the way back is my sister or brother." Cicirelli agrees that reviewing the past together is a rewarding activity. "Siblings have a very important role in maintaining a connection to early life," he says. "Discussing the past evokes the warmth of early family life. It validates and clarifies events of the early years.“ Furthermore, he has found that encouraging depressed older people to reminisce with a sister or brother can improve their morale. Some of the factors that affect how much contact siblings will have, such as how near they live, are obvious. Others are more unexpected-for example, whether there is a sister in the clan. Cicirelli found that elderly people most often feel closest to a sister and are more likely to keep in touch through her. According to Gold, sisters, by tradition, often assume a caretaking and kin-keeping role, especially after the death of their mother. "In many situations you see two brothers who don't talk to each other that much but keep track of each other through their sisters," she says. Researchers have found that the bond between sisters is strongest, followed by the one between sisters and brothers and, last, between brothers. Sisters and brothers who live near each other will, as a matter of course, see more of each other. But Cicirelli says that proximity is not crucial to a strong relationship later in life. "Because of multiple chronic illnesses, people in their 80s and 90s can't get together that easily. Even so, the sibling seems to evoke positive feelings based on the images or feelings inside.