My brother and sister-in-law moved to Colorado last weekend. It takes a few days for the reality to set in that all the things that have seemed so commonplace for many years–like eating meals together, learning the same things at church, growing cousins up together–are no longer a part of my weekly routine. Perhaps Judah’s taking it the hardest, as he looks for his sidekick Calla, whom he lovingly refers to as “Ya-Ya,” around every corner. They were born three days apart, and have recently been caught deep in conversation with one another in toddler-ese. With the myriad of ways to keep in touch nowadays, they will no doubt see and hear much of each other. Nevertheless, I’m old-fashioned, and find nothing comparable to a good visit over tea and cookies. It is not that distance is cumbersome or inconvenient in today’s world–it’s merely that quality of relationship is more difficult to achieve–that genuine intimacy is deliberate and quantitative in time, two elements unnecessary in the technological world of social networking and communication. You can unintentionally be in touch with everyone you knew in high school with just a click of a button these days, or you can cyber-stalk someone undetected through social profiles and blogs. But when it comes to really knowing someone, information will never stand in for actually living a life with someone. So, for now, with miles between us, we will have to learn the art of not just “keeping in touch,” but sharing life at a distance–making this goodbye a good one.
I had beaded a necklace for myself, from which I saved a set of stones to make a strand for my sister-in-law, Abby. Mine is chunky like me, and her’s is simple and sweet like her…but they are made of the same materials….a parting gift, if you will, to remind us we’re close when we’re apart.
What do you do to make your long distance relationships with family and friends more meaningful and genuine?
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I now notice that I talk more with family than when I lived “just down the pike”. I guess knowing they are close made our calls less frequent. Once they were out of simple driving distance, our calls seem to come more frequently and seem to be more meaningful.
So sorry! Moves are tough on everyone, aren’t they?
Hugs to you,
Heather
ps…. can’t wait to see the bedroom reveal! You’ve got me checking twice a day ~ LOL!!
I’m afraid I’m not good at long distance relationships! …and neither are my friends who have moved away. We will do an occassional email but our best intentions fade into the reality of busy lives that swallow us up. It is good that when we do see each other again, we can pick up right where we left off, but it still isn’t the same. I hope you can do a better job than me….it takes determination. So sweet that your kids will miss each other! The internet will help a lot!
And…love the jewelry!
There is no distance so far that I cannot keep loving you, O my dearest children, and all the children of my children!
I always find myself missing the smell of my far-off loved ones… I know that sounds a little strange, but when I do see them again the embrace is all the more sweet because it smells like home (even my stinky older brothers). If somehow we could bottle that, it would get me through the longs months between visits!
Web-cam is the way to go! We’ve watched Adrian, and now Olivier, grow up via video. We get to hear his singing concerts, view his latest lego creations and see his school projects. The best part is when we do meet in person, he knows us with a sweet familiarity as if we’ve been present all along. It’s free and simple, can be planned or spontaneous, a full family affair or a private matter. Yay for web-cam!
So wonderful to meet you last night! Lynda.com is the wonderful tutorial site I mentioned we used at OneCreative, I hope it helps! Maybe I’ll get to that poppy painting some time this year between therapy and doctor appointments. What a grande goal! Come poke around on the site, you’ll see we have both the serious and the goofy side real quick, haha. Blessings to your family!