“Distance is not for the fearful, it is for the bold. It’s for those who are willing to spend a lot of time alone in exchange for a little time with the one they love. It’s for those knowing a good thing when they see it, even if they don’t see it nearly enough.” -Meghan Daum.
This weekend, I saw my boyfriend for the first time since I left for college. It had only been a month, but for two people who used to spend every possible waking moment together, those four weeks felt like a lifetime. My only consolation has been, “good things come to those who wait.”
That’s the tricky thing about long distance. There are days when you can feel every single mile between the two of you; days when you stay on the phone until late at night talking just to ease the pain that distance causes. Days when you truly feel defeated by the fact that when you get home from a long, hard day, he won’t be there to eat dinner with; days when his lack of presence in daily life is more prominent than others’ presence day to day.
But there are also days where, although you still think of them every moment of the day, you are so busy that you’re able to keep the distance at the back of your mind. They say that only those who are truly in love can survive a long distance relationship, and I understand why now. Couples in long distance relationships must have something that not all relationships do lately — trust. If you know the one you’re with can love you from miles and miles away, and you know that they would rather see you one day a month rather than someone else seven days a week, that’s true love. Love is not always convenient or easy, but it’s fair. Because you have that one thing people spend their whole lives searching for.
“And ever has it been known that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” -Khalil Gibran.
It’s not an easy thing, but as I spend Valentine’s Day alone, I can attest that it is worth it. When you’re in love with someone, there is nothing quite like being with that person. No matter how long the wait, how great the distance, or how short the long-awaited visit — it’s worth it. I now understand all the cliches and movies about a man coming home for just 24 hours before he has to leave once again, or a woman waiting at the terminal gate just so she doesn’t miss a single minute with the person she loves. If you’re willing to give your all to someone across rivers and roads and seas, spend some holidays and weekends alone, and miss the person you love every single day, you are certainly bold. You’re also brave, and patient. And you know what they say about those who wait.