I have always been very close to my parents because of how unconventional they are in their style of parenting and how humorous they are in nature. They never stopped me from exercising my agency to choose what I want to do with life and supported all my endeavors regardless of how odd some of them seemed to be. They can also make me laugh like no one ever has. So needless to say, it is tough being away from them, especially because they are seven thousand miles and a ten hours’ time difference away. Here are the eight realizations of my long distance relationship (with my parents.)
1. I, the mathematician
Any long distance relationship requires a lot of math. A ten hour time difference means looking at the watch and doing a little bit of math every time I want to call them.2. And then I can’t call them.
I am in the middle of crossroads and I have to make an important decision and the only person that can help me is my most trusted advisor, my mother. However, I can not call her immediately because of the time difference. I certainly don’t want to wake her up in the middle of the night. The only thing more excruciating than the wait to call them at a reasonable hour is the the lack of instant advice and support.
3. The importance of devices
My phone has become the base of our relationship as it is the medium that connects me to my favorite people halfway across the world. I am thankful that I was not born in an era where letters were the only means of communication for long distances and weeks would pass before I could even get a reply. Today, my phone conversations are frequent and often last for hours.
4. Hugs and Kisses, or lack thereof
The lack of hugs and kisses in this LDR is the worst part. Sometimes all I need is a hug from my dad and for him to tell me that its all going to be okay.
5. A shrunk closet
I was about sixteen when I realized that my shoe size has grown to my mom’s size and that was one of the happiest moments of my life. Now I can borrow all these shoes forever! (Or so I thought) My mom and I shared our wardrobes like best friends and I miss having that extra closet to raid before picking an outfit.
5. Birthdays and Anniversaries
My family has always been big on occasions and now that it is divided in terms of distance, everything has lost a little bit of meaning and significance. This taught me something very important about life and that is that nobody will ever care about my big days like my parents do.
6. Getting sick = Getting lonely
I used to be that weird kid who loved getting sick but that is because getting sick for me meant being treated like a princess. Now, there is just a huge void in the place of my mom hugging me all night and my dad getting me soup.
7. Reunions
It is funny that more time is spent on planning reunions than the actual reunion. Every time I go to a new place, I wonder whether my mom would like it. I make mental notes of places that I would like to explore with her when she visits. She finally comes and fills my heart with unexplainable joy as I show her my world. She leaves to go back to her own, and I am left behind making another list.
8. Ma Famille
Like all LDRS, distance brings perspective. The most important lesson that this LDR has taught me is the true value of family as everything that I took for granted was stripped away from me by distance. I realized the beauty and uniqueness of the relationship that I share with my parents and how no amount of distance, not even 7000 miles, could come between it.
