Does Absence Make The Heart Grow Fonder or Heavier??

The other day my Goo Goo Dolls Pandora station played Richard Marx's "right here waiting". Never heard this song before, but something about the lyrics strung a cord in me.


 “Oceans apart, day after day and I slowly go insane, I hear your voice on the line but it doesn’t stop the pain... I see you next to never, how can we say forever” 


In my nomadic lifestyle, relationships are always the one aspect in my life that suffers.I always wonder do long distance relationships work? 


I'm not 100% sure if I believe in long distance relationships. I would like to  believe long distance relationships can survive if both parties make the effort to keep the spark alive. But when separated by states and miles how is this possible? The unique nature of long distance unions involve an immense amount of passion and soley may relay on both parties emotions to keep it working.

Tears, loneliness, heartache, misunderstandings, the sleepless nights and "the I-miss-him/her-so-much syndrome" is not uncommon feelings in long distance relationships. Then again, the successful long distance relationships are rewarding. The strength built through the "hard times" lead to satisfying partnerships. For some, this is a reality, for others it's nothing more than a fairy tale. 

Long distance relationships aren’t for everyone. If you are someone who thinks more highly on  physical intimacy over emotional connection, long distance relationships might be extremely challenging to you and vise versa.

But in these times of technology, coping with long distance relationships are made easier through emails, texts and even video chats. But does that make up for time actually spent with one another?

Here are a list of Pros and Cons of Long Distance relationships:

Pros:

1. Emotional bonding is developed from time spent communicating and getting to know one another on a deeper than physical level.
2. Appreciation for actual time spent
3. Self contentment
4. Ability to focus more on goals set for yourself without subtle distractions
5. A strong trust foundation gets developed

Cons:

1. Emotionally stressful
2. Lack of intimacy
3. Loneliness
4. Misunderstandings leading to conflict
5. Financial strain (from communication efforts or frequent visits)

Long Distance relationships CAN work when there is an enormous amount of effort on both sides. Too often people conclude that the cause of break ups in long distance relationships is the distance itself. I believe that the distance only magnifies other issues in the relationship that aren't able to fully be resolved because of the distance. 

It's comforting to know that someone cares, but it's hard to realize it when the person is not around to comfort  you... Is it worth it?