Dealing with distance
Over the past holiday weekend, many students who are currently in a long distance relationship were fortunate enough to be reunited after being apart for a long period of time. Although students in a long distance relationship probably don’t need a holiday to remind them of how grateful they should be for one another.
Being in a long distance relationship can be stressful and hard, but the hard work and determination two individuals put into such a challenging task can savor so much sweetness. Long distance relationships are for people who are truly committed to each other and willing to go through long periods of time without each other. Being in a long distance relationship comes with many downsides, some of which make it difficult to be in such a relationship.
One of the main pitfalls of long distance relationships is not being able to see the person when you need them. Wilfrid Laurier University student, Jasleen Singh has been in a long distance relationship for two years and she admits that the distance is sometimes difficult to deal with at times.
“The hardest factor of being in a long distance relationship is not being able to see the one person you love all the time,” Singh said. “It’s not comforting, whatsoever.”
Nonetheless, people in long distance relationships solve this problem through texting, phone calls and Skype.
Another drawback to long distance love is when someone puts more effort into the relationship than their partner.When someone puts more effort than the other in the relationship it can cause resentment and unnecessary stress. One person may feel that the other doesn’t want to continue the relationship because of their lack of effort. This downside persuades couples to cooperate and work together so that doesn’t occur.
The last pitfall is feeling that you don’t have enough time with each other. WLU student Sarah Chivas, has been in a long distance relationship for four years, and she usually sees her boyfriend during the holidays. She says the hardest factor of a long distance relationship is that “you do not get to see them as much, you have to make do with the time you have.”
Couples feel the need to make as many memories as possible during that time. Spontaneous dates are always in store. Couples in long distance relationships learn to be grateful for every moment they have with their significant other and can see the beauty in simplicity.
Since time seems constraint, couples cherish all memories they make when they are back together. Long distance couples are always excited to see each other and are able to realize how much their relationship is worth when they are finally reunited.
“You have such a great time, you realize it’s not worth breaking up,” Chivas said. “You realize it’s worth the fight.”
Long distance relationships, though challenging and not completely ideal, help to maintain the spark and the emotion that is first felt when falling in love. Every pitfall provokes a reason to make long distance relationships more worth it and you’ll always remember how much that person is worth to you.
