Monday, 29 January 2018

LDR.

My advice on long distance relationships, having lived through one for over a year?

Don't do it.

It will hurt like hell. I've been through some pretty dramatic breakups, when my heart was broken so badly that it physically hurt. And then I was in a long distance relationship with the most wonderful man for a year and there were many moments when it hurt more than in those darkest breakup times.


On the other hand,

long distance relationships are so easy in many ways.

Because being in close proximity means that all the little things creep out of you. You need to be truly patient, considerate, ready to compromise. When you only see your other half every so often, you are so excited, head over heels,  that you don't notice the not so pretty bits of yourself and the other person. If you meet a few times a year, you live in a state of lovely ecstatic longing. It's good, it's beautiful and is so much needed when you're away from each other, but real everyday life is so much more difficult even than the greatest distance.

Any sort of relationship is a difficult one, because it is a collision of two distinct beings with their own dreams, habits and peculiarities. But being regularly or constantly together is a challenge, because there is no escape from everything that divides you. Maybe this is why so many marriages fail, because people are not ready for the hard work of making it work.

Being with other people is difficult enough, being with a person who is inches away in terms of physical and emotional distance is hundredfold harder. And of course it is 100% worth every effort to see this most beautiful face first thing in the morning, to reflect this most beautiful smile, to ever wonder where this unfailing love comes from. But it's not all butterflies.

And really, why should it? Everything that is actually worthwhile is costly. It will cost you time, effort, emotions. But just consider what life would be like without all these things you consider important. It would be all crying and grinding of teeth.



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