REALITIES
The Harsh Reality of a Long Distance Love Affair
Distance makes the heart grow fonder.
This is one saying we often hear, but is there any truth to it?
Will it work for everybody?
It’s normal to feel doubtful about getting into a long distance relationship, regardless of whether it’s your first time or not.
For starters, most long distance couples don’t wake up one morning and ultimately decide they want to be in a relationship with someone who’s all the way in another country. If traveling didn’t have to cost so much time and money, maybe everyone would be doing it.
One common reason that not everyone is doing it is distance. Another is they simply don’t have the patience and determination to commit to someone they don’t get to see whenever they want.
While there is truth to developing love and affection for someone without having to see them every day, there is just as much room for miscommunication and misunderstandings to arise.
However, when two people invest time in each other, regardless of their geographical location, distance becomes a lesser concern. It’s a given that before they agree to get into a relationship, they’re already aware of the problems that might come their way. Still, they decided to give it a shot. That alone says a lot about their love for one another.
In a long distance love affair, decisions are mutual. Both parties are aware of the sacrifices involved, so they are careful to have a mutual understanding of where they want their relationship to be headed.
In other words, there has to be an end goal. Without one, it can be all the more difficult to navigate the relationship, considering it’s already a great risk to be involved in it in the first place.
Will this work for everyone?
The truth is that it’s not for everyone. A long distance love affair usually works for those who choose to be stronger not just for themselves, but also for the other person.
In the Philippines, for example, long distance relationships are very common and some successful marriages are built on this type of relationship setup.
It’s safe to assume that some Filipino women have the characteristics of a strong woman who can survive long distance love affairs.
Long distance may be hard because of various circumstances, such as the different time zones and the lack of constant communication, but love in itself is unexplainable and there is no guideline that applies to everyone.
Nevertheless, there is a formula that is applicable to long distance couples, and that is a combination of trust, patience, and respect.
Trust that your partner loves you and is faithful to you, be patient when they can’t respond to you right away, and respect their priorities that are outside of your relationship.
This is important for your commitment to work. A relationship built on trust, patience, and respect weighs greater than one that is built on love alone.
Is it worth trying?
If there’s one thing to know about long distance love affairs, it’s that they’re never easy. So the shortest answer would be it all depends on the person.
Once you decide to get involved, that means you’re willing to overcome the obstacles that come with it. The same goes for the other person. But when distance is no longer a problem, that’s when you know that it was all worth it.
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