You heard it a thousand times. “Your relationship won’t last after high school! Just break up with them before you go to college!” And for those of us who have been in long-distance relationships, it does suck. Is it worth it? Guilt, jealousy, and other things can creep into your life. After awhile, you may just feel numb and forget that you’re even in a relationship. You may start blaming your partner for the distance or vice-versa. Long-distance sucks, but you’ve fought this hard for it. What went wrong?
Maybe it’s a cheating situation, boredom, or you find a quality you actually can’t stand about that person. Whatever the reason was, know that it was not because you didn’t fight hard enough. If you didn’t fight for it, then you would’ve broken up a long time ago. You may see those poor quality quotes pop up on Instagram or Facebook that say something along the lines of “If you are really in a relationship, you never give up. Don’t give up on your relationship. Relationships take lots of fights and arguments, but it’s worth it.” Although some of this may be true, know that if something doesn’t feel right in your relationship, end it. They’re not the one for you. Maybe there’s no bad blood between you two, but something is off. Trust your heart over your mind.
Any break up is scary. Now your future just got a lot more uncertain. Maybe you talked about marriage and kids, and now those dreams are all gone. I’ve spent 2+ years with my best friend, but I’m not sure that we’re supposed to be together forever. People come into your life at certain times when you need it. I needed some stability in those 2 years and needed to see what a good person was like. If you’re religious, you may already know that we have freewill. If God is telling you that this person is not meant for you, you can either pursue the relationship or end it and follow God’s plan. It sounds simple, but it’s ending a several year relationship and all those memories.
I’ve witnessed people pick their own path instead of God’s. It truly ends in disaster. I know a couple that feels unfulfilled and they always fight about finances, but they stay together because of their kids. There’s a couple that has had multiple affairs within the relationship, but they stay together because they don’t know where else to go. There’s a couple that broke up because someone was using the other person for citizenship and money. I don’t want to pick my own path. Even though I know it’s not easy following God’s path, that’s our duty. We have to give up everything and pick up our own cross to follow Jesus.
These are my unfiltered thoughts about long-distance relationships. I don’t want to stay where it’s comfortable just because I fear dying alone. If I don’t date anyone else, then I know my loneliness will be fulfilled in another way. If you feel in your heart or you feel that God is telling you that your current partner is not for you, take that as a warning to break up. It will be scary leaving something so familiar behind. They may even be your best friend and you’ll have to mourn the loss of a best friend and a boyfriend/girlfriend, but it’s for a larger reason than we can comprehend.