| Staying Power of a Long Distance Relationship |
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 Although long distance relationships may have a reputation for being short-lived there have been long lasting, substantial relationships formed from these humble beginnings. A friend of mine was involved in a long distance relationship for two and a half years. She finally took the plunge and moved across the country to his location and the two of them got married. That was five years ago and they are still a happily married couple.
The success of a long distance relationship depends upon the amount of effort put into it by the individuals involved. Although limited physical interaction is a problem in this type of situation, long distance relationships fail mostly due to a lack of trust. If there is no trust, there is no relationship. Of course this is true of any relationship. But when people are hundreds or thousands of miles away from each other it is more likely that trust issues may arise. They wonder what the other is doing and sometimes a little paranoia sets in even if there's no cause for concern. You have to have enough faith in your partner, your relationship and yourself to give a long distance relationship the staying power that it needs to survive.
 Keeping in touch as much as possible can help the two of you feel closer over the distance. Talk on the phone often if possible. Write letters or send cards. Make the effort to stay close even though you are miles apart. Your partner doesn't want to hear that you were too busy to call or write or that you forgot. You both have to make a conscious effort to bridge the gap of distance. If you really love the person and are serious about wanting the relationship to work you'll make the time to let him or her know how much you care. Send a lot of pictures and schedule visits as often as the two of you can arrange it.
When you do get together time will probably just fly by because you have so much to catch up on and you want to spend every minute with each other being intimate, holding, caressing and just enjoying each other's company. After all, absence does make the heart grow fonder. If your relationship is moving along the path of lifetime commitment then both of you will have some big decisions to make and it might be best to discuss those decisions in person if possible.
 One or both of you will need to leave your home, job, friends and family behind when the two of you decide to merge your lives. That's a major decision to make so you will need to be honest with each other about your feelings and you'll need to thoroughly plan out how you will proceed if you are serious about making a future together. You will both need to make some concessions but that isn't exclusive to long distance relationships. The bottom line is to know what you want and what sacrifices you are willing to make and love will find a way to make it happen.
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