Mental Distance: More Than Physical
Sometimes distance is not measured in meters. Sometimes it is not between bodies, but between souls. I may be physically close to you, but felt distant. I can touch you, and still feel like you’re not next to me. Distance is the enemy of everyone’s relationship, as both sides build bridges that become harder to cross, and at some point they stop trying. We are equally responsible for maintaining or breaking the bridges we build for others.
You don’t have to see each other every day. You don’t have to be constantly in touch to be close; you just need connection and understanding to create a magical sense of togetherness. It is both the end result and the reason why we miss people. But do you really need a person?
When you crave a memory, it feels like you’re missing out on a part of the journey you’ve been on. It’s a part of you in your mind. But when you miss a person, you want to stay in the same place and you don’t want your journey with him to ever end. So you are ready to fight so you can be together.
Long distance relationships
Long-distance relationships make communication difficult, whether it’s a romantic, friendship, or family relationship. Therefore, you need to make a special effort to shorten the distance, and bring your souls closer together. The desire and passion you feel when you’ve been without seeing another for a long time can be a good thing, as it makes you enjoy every moment you spend together, and it helps strengthen your bond.
Being away from each other and talking without physical contact is a challenge to communication and intimacy in relationships, as research by Hong Jiang University researcher Crystal Jiang and Cornell University professor Jeffrey Hancock shows. Maintaining a long-distance relationship requires work on both sides (but that doesn’t mean they should work separately). They need to make an effort, and make sure that even as time has passed, seeing another feel as if they have never been gone, perhaps not physically but mentally.
Seize the opportunities on offer
It is increasingly normal to run into couples who do not live together, families who have divorced, and friends who no longer live in the same city. Losing communication or giving up because of distance does not have to be an option.
There is a need to improve communication by seizing every opportunity offered to shorten the distance, be it a video call, a messaging or a phone call. Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, and can be a really useful tool to get one close to you, even if you are far apart.
Trusting in another person will help you stay calm through difficult times, and build a support bridge so you learn to wait and appreciate what you have. Sometimes we lose the desire to embrace, admire and be with another, but the beauty of longing is precisely when a person is not involved in daily life, it makes us appreciate and cherish the other again.
Take all the joy out of the time you can spend together, and work to bring your souls closer together when the distance becomes too harsh. Try to set the due date at a distance, because it’s always better to have something concrete to look forward to.
