Long-Distance Dilemma

We all know it happens as we grow up and (sometimes) grow apart: people graduate high school or college and, despite any sense of closeness during those four-to-eight years, things change. People change. We learn and grow, and sometimes our paths take us apart from each other, whether it be physical distances or emotional differences. It’s a tough thing to deal with and for sensitive people like myself, it can be hard to let go.

Still, there are relationships that surpass the challenges of life. Childhood friends travel to different parts of the world, but continue to keep in touch. Certainly in this generation of technology, staying in touch should be a thousand times easier. Or is it? How simple is it to get wrapped up in your life, dealing with the new challenges that come with graduation, especially from college. Friends move on, get jobs (well, hopefully), build new relationships in their new environments.

During an old dispute with one of my best friends, she sent me an e-mail with a fabulous quote: “Did you ever let a good friendship die because you didn’t take the time just to call and say hi?” I don’t know the source of the quote, but it carries a lot of power. There should never be an excuse for letting go of a strong friendship just because you’re “too busy,” right? As I said above, with the technology we have in our generation, long-distance friendships shouldn’t be such a burden. If you’re waiting in the doctor’s office, send a text message with a quick/witty comment, or as the quote above says, a simple “Hi .”

From someone who always welcomes even a short, sweet message, it definitely improves my mood just to be reminded that there are people out there thinking about me, even if I don’t have the time to spend more than five minutes attempting to catch-up over the phone.

Do you struggle with maintaining long-distance friendships? What are some things you do that help you keep in touch?