Distance

     I never thought that distance would be a good thing. I always thought that distance ruined things, that it only brought stress and tension to things that were once not-so-far-apart. I thought distance would be impossible, that it would only make my life harder than it already was. I thought long distance relationships were only in movies. I thought that they never really existed, and if they did, they didn't last. I never would have seen myself greeting distance with open and welcoming arms like I did one month ago.

     What I have found out is that distance depends on the heart. I always thought that I would never meet someone or something worth working through distance for. I considered it a waste of time. However, when you do find that something or someone worth doing distance for, distance only becomes the key unlocking the gate to progress.

     Sure, it's challenging, and at times it even sucks. It's easy to be emotionally connected to someone especially when you're also sharing a physical connection. But when you're 1500 miles away and can only rely on emotional and verbal connection, things get tricky. I needed to change my heart in order to make things work. I needed to create an even more selfless lifestyle. I needed to pursue harder than I ever had. I needed to relearn how to pursue someone, essentially. Through all of the learning and adapting and trying, I can safely and proudly say that all of it is worth it.

     The saying, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder" is nothing far from the absolute truth. The love and care I have now is far stronger than the love and care I would have if I still lived back home. It would be easier to still be home, but being here has given me such a strong sense of appreciation for who I have back home.

     Every letter, every word, every text, every FaceTime, every picture, every goodnight and good morning message is beyond worth it, for someone far beyond my dreams. In my situation, distance is allowing love to grow where doubt used to be.