Ah, relationships. They’re wonderful (most of the time, at least). The thought of your significant other brings butterflies to your stomach, and you just can’t help but to smile.
When it comes to first relationships, some people might think of their first S.O. in middle school who they took to the 8th grade dance. I, on the other hand, think of something a little different.
My first relationship was a long distance relationship. I lived in Alabama at the time, while my (now ex-) boyfriend lived in South Carolina. We met through a family friend. He and I were around the same age, we started talking… I’m pretty sure you can figure the rest out from here. He and I were together for just a little over three years, and then we broke up over the summer. Honestly, him and I breaking up was probably the best thing to happen to both of us. While we were dating, I just couldn’t help but to not trust him. I would ALWAYS accuse him of things like cheating or ignoring me. The only time I would talk to him is through text or the very few times I saw him in person. All my friends told me to dump him, but I was way too in love to do that. Don’t get me wrong, I do understand that people just don’t like talking on the phone or skyping. That’s just the way they are. Looking back, he didn’t do any of that. He never cheated on me. He also was in a really bad point in his life, so he couldn’t talk to me every day. I truly believe he tried his hardest when we were together.
Photo from New Health Advisor.
I guess the point of this is that I learned a lot about trust thorugh this relationship. I learned to believe when he said he was busy during the day and when he said that he wasn’t cheating. I cannot emphasize how important trust is, especially in a LDR. I learned that I also need to be more supportive and understanding of whoever I’m dating. If you expect your S.O. to be there for you, you need to be there for them, as well. If they’re going through a rough patch in their lives, don’t tear them down. Be their cheerleader! Lift them up and let them know that they can get through whatever their going through. These little tips sound like they’d be important in any relationship, but it’s hard when you’re however many miles away. To those who are currently in a long distance relationship, please do NOT lose hope. If you believe that you can make it, then you will! Once you finally see them after days, weeks, months, or even years of waiting, then it will all be worth it in the end!