In Love, Distance Is as Relative as Time
There is no distance that can’t be made up, as long as not we don’t reduce the word love down to four letters. Also keep in mind that it’s true that the concept of time is big. Especially when it comes to looking at my present and seeing a past that’s asking for future, but I can manipulate it to stop with a simple gesture, and return to it as needed.
You are the measure of my time
Our time will always be as relative as our distance. Both are measured by the desire to see each other again and you’re the measure of my time. The great Mario Benedetti himself said that five minutes was more than enough time to dream for our whole lives, and he wasn’t mistaken. The time and kilometers that separate us can be lessened if we wish for it with all our might.
In regards to this topic, a few months ago a friend told me something that I didn’t really come to understood until now and maybe it will be of help to you, too. I was told that feeling melancholy about someone we miss can be beautiful, but feeling the way we wish to live is the goal of any aspiring participant in life.
I was also told not to be afraid of what might happen because love can help you succeed in almost anything, and that if I was afraid, I would end up longing for the past. What my friend really wanted me to see was hidden between the lines: that I needed to appreciate and savor my time with that person, even if they were far away from me physically, because the present is the only time we can have.
“If you feel lost, disappointed, hesitant, or weak, return to yourself, to who you are, here and now and when you get there, you will discover yourself, like a lotus flower in full bloom, even in a muddy pond, beautiful and strong.”
-Masaru Emoto-
There will be no distance as long as you keep your gaze on me
Now that I understand my friend’s wise words, I control and take charge of my present, and enjoy what I have. I try to keep all of my long-distance relationships up-to-date and afloat, because even though it requires a lot of work, it’s absolutely worth it. Only now do I understand that distance is what Cortázar wished to explain to us when he talked about knowing how to be together from a distance.
“The distant soul can shake the distant friend’s soul and make the longing felt, over untold miles.”
-John Masefield-
There is no distance when two people wish to continue looking in the same direction. When even though I can’t see you, I can feel you here with me. When a smile from the last time I saw you is the memory I hold so dear to me – but only until the next one comes along.
There is no distance when I think of your embrace every time I’m cold, and have the certainty that you are giving it to me, even when you aren’t. Distance is minimal when you believe you have the power to overcome it.
When love overcomes cities, oceans and airports
It’s true that kilometers can condition and harm many a relationship, and that nothing is as easy as it seems. It’s very hard being apart when the only thing you both desire is to be close. But remember that problems come up when the opposite is true: when you are close but feel emotionally distanced. Overcoming distance is about holding on, reinforcing ourselves, and becoming stronger together.
“And one by one the nights between our separated cities are joined to the night that unites us.”
-Pablo Neruda-
Trust, honesty and communication are the keys to maintaining a long-distance relationship. In other words, your will is not always going to be enough, but it is absolutely essential. It takes a great deal of effort, a heavy dose of willpower and, above all, true feelings so that distance isn’t used as the excuse for a relationship that was already falling apart.