We have heard it all before, or so we think. Relationships are never easy. Managing to keep a relationship can be quite tricky. But handling a long distance relationship is another story entirely. Why is that so?
Well, for one thing, long distance relationships are different from regular, close proximity relationships in that there is a great amount of time where human touch is absent. Furthermore, a long distance relationship is not your average relationship where you can just go on a hiatus for a couple of days or even a week, without causing any mental and emotional distress to your partner. That is, of course, unless a state of panic on your lover’s behalf is what you are actually aiming for.
Suffice to say, long distance relationships are more special for the reason that it requires a consistent dose of tender love and care. It is not the typical sort of relationship that you would or rather, should get into if you are not serious about the man or woman you are with and if you are not sincere in your intentions.
I know that big question that must be going through your minds: Why? Do you find yourself sitting from across the computer screen, your forehead forming into a frown, and wondering what is so special about being in a long distance relationship in the first place?
Without further agonizing your happy trail of thoughts if you are on the verge of getting into a long distance relationship, I have come up with 3 things that you ought to consider before sealing that deal:
1. Level of Commitment
Make no mistake about it. In other kinds of relationships, your level of commitment or your partner’s level of commitment can be like a roller coaster ride with your commitment levels skyrocketing only every now and then. In a long distance relationship, however, the level of your commitment as well as your partner’s must constantly be on a high.
Why is that the case? Well, you don’t go into war without bringing sufficient food, medicine and ammunition, now, do you? Similarly, you don’t set off into a faraway land and leave behind your partner only to break his or her heart in the process. That’s just plain evil.
When you leave someone behind like in the case of a long distance relationship, you can’t just expect him or her not to worry as to whether or not you are going to fall for the charms of another person wherever you may be going. You cannot just foolishly believe that your long distance boyfriend or girlfriend would feel no grief with you leaving him or her behind. More often than not, as the days go by, they will begin to fear and question himself or herself and whether you are serious about your relationship. After all, nobody wants to be taken for a fool, pining for a loved one who may well just wind up to be gallivanting around with other men or women in unknown territories.
Hence, your level of commitment must be constantly high and must be expressed in both words and actions at all times. The feelings of those involved in a long distance relationship must never be toyed around with or their hopes strung along with until you find someone else in that new place.
Being in a long distance relationship, you ought to be very committed to making the relationship work despite the distance. You need to give each other the kind of love that doesn’t falter—not just easily, but a love that does not falter at all.
2. Degree of Loyalty
As I have already mentioned, long distance relationships require a consistently high level of commitment and with such a commitment, it entails a strong degree of loyalty.
You cannot just simply check out other boys or girls or go on those so-called friendly dates with members of the opposite sex without your long distance boyfriend or girlfriend feeling even just a slight tinge of irritation and jealousy. After all, who wants to feel as though your partner, who is already a hundred miles away, is drifting farther and farther away from you and possibly into someone else’s arms? Of course, no one does. Nobody in his or her right heart and mind would just let something like that happen. And we are not about to take even the slightest, possibly slim chance of risking it.
You see, when you are in a long distance relationship, you tend to be more protective and wary of others who may seek to lure your long distance partner into their warm embrace and what not. Thus, as compared to a close proximity relationship, a long distance relationship undergoes more intense tests of loyalty and should, therefore, not just be taken lightly.
A mistake, a lie, or even a small fraction of what could have been or was a short-term case of a wandering eye would be greatly magnified in a long distance relationship. In such a situation, it would be so much harder to make it up to your partner and more so, to rebuild the trust.
Needless to say, in a long distance relationship, you and your long distance partner’s character and loyalty will be tested immensely. So, if you are not really the one-woman kind of guy or the one-man kind of girl, you should think twice before getting into a long distance relationship and save yourself and others the agony from your unfaithfulness streak.
3. Steady Goals and Future Plans
This brings me to my next point: a long distance relationship requires not just a consistently high level of commitment and a high degree of loyalty, but a steady set of goals and future plans.
As opposed to other forms of romantic relationships, a long distance relationship would amount to nothing if you and your partner do not have a steady set of goals in order to be together or any definite future plans like eventually both settling down in one location. I mean, really, why would you get into a long distance relationship and bear the pains of being away from your beloved if you don’t have any sincere intentions of being with each other for good? It just doesn’t make sense.
Hence, should you be thinking about getting into a long distance relationship, consider not just both your level of commitment and loyalty but as well as your future plans—such as whether you really want to spend the rest of your lives together and marry, raise a family, and grow old with each other. In addition to that, you also need to set crystal-clear and rock-steady goals and work very hard to achieve that. You cannot and should not just leave it all up to chance—or you just might miss out on the best thing that could have ever happened in your life.
Indeed, being in a long distance relationship could be very challenging, but it could also be very fulfilling in the sense that the distance would have done so much to test your characters as well as your levels of commitment and loyalty. And thus, should your love for each other be true, you would always find ways to make it work—and then, you can be certain, as distance and time has proven, that you’ve got yourself a priceless catch. So, don’t just give up and never ever let go of a love as precious as what you and your long distance partner have!
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