When you’re born, society waits for you to develop social skills and “get by with a little help from your friends”, as The Beatles sang in the 60’s. Of all the relationships one creates with every individual that passes by, there’s a category for that special someone that everybody identifies as “friend”. Friendship is a bond with another person whom you share a lot of similarities and stays by your side, ignoring all the differences one may have. When that person arrives in your life – it doesn’t matter if you know him or her since elementary school or just last year- you pass the majority of time with that friend. But, never in a lifetime would someone imagine that one day you would be separated by distance from that friend.
No matter how heartbroken one may be, knowing that you won’t see your bestie walking down by the streets or waiting for your 10am class to finish so you can go and grab lunch together, you support your friend’s decision on moving on with his or her life, no matter what the goals may be. Long distance friendships have two sides to it: maybe the friendship grows stronger or maybe it disappears. Those who overcome the barriers can prove that relationships have no boundaries. Those that don’t talk anymore may consider long distance friendship a life lesson. Whatever the end result may be, one must always remember that friends stay forever, in person or in the memories that make you a stronger human being.
In this article, all the fellow readers will encounter long distance friendship stories from some of the contributors, including mine. Hope this stories help out with other friendships that are facing similar issues with the distance.
Uliana’s story:
There are cases in which you never got to physically know your friend, because you started to get to know each other via texts, or in Uliana’s case, letters. Her story portrays the type of friendship where they end up having a sudden disconnection because of the distance. It may be sad that there’s no more communication between two individuals, but you can always treasure the stories that both shared throughout time.
“When I was eight years old, my aunt was getting married with Michael, an Irish man that she first met in a hotel. The man had nephews around my age living in Ireland. My aunt had an amazing idea and suggested I contact and maintain a bond with them. One of the nieces, which name I don’t remember, was the first one to send me a letter. In those long letters we talked about our everyday life and sent pictures. We did that for a year or so. One day, I stopped writing her letters and the connection banished. I feel guilty because I was the one that “ended” the bond, but I don’t regret the experience. I treasure the letters and stories I shared with my friend”.
Patricia’s Story:
The ideal friend is the one that supports and comforts you on gloomy days. That person accompanies you through your hard times and gives you all the life advice imagined, even if he or she doesn’t follow it. In Patricia’s story, the support from your friends trespasses the distance.
“I met Connor in 5th grade, due to the fact that we went to the same elementary and middle school. When I moved to Puerto Rico, he helped me smile through really tough times. For example, when I was trying to adapt to Puerto Rico and when my mom died. I visited him after about seven months being here, and it was really refreshing. We’ve been friends for about eight to nine years, and most of the time has been apart. But we still manage to keep in touch and be there for each other, no matter the distance or the time. We actually call each other brother and sister; that’s how close we are. The amount of struggles we went through together never really pulled us apart. It brought us closer”.
Claudia’s Story:
When senior year arrives, it’s the time to pursue your professional goals by going to college. Some friends get separated due to the fact that they got accepted to different colleges, or their interests are different. Some may think they couldn’t survive a day in the adult world without their buddy, but the support remains. In Claudia’s story, friends can maintain a communication – important base in all kinds of relationships – no matter where you study.
“Mario and I have been best friends for about four years. We became best friends when he was a senior in high school and I was a junior. He left for Washington University, in St. Louis, that August; and he barely comes home, except for the holidays. We talk every single day and when we don’t talk to each other we feel weird. I love him and miss him like crazy, but being apart hasn’t made us feel any less close to each other. Quite the opposite, actually. Being apart only makes seeing each other much more special and fun. He is like a big brother and I wouldn’t change him for anything in the world. The best story we have together? I wanted to go to Mayaguez to see my crush for Prepa Week. When I called him and told him about it, he didn’t think twice about it. He said yes, and two weeks later, we were taking a three hour trip to the West so I could see my crush. He is always the first one to remind me that I don’t need to take any bad treatments from anyone and, the first one, to remind me how much I’m worth when I can’t remember it. Mario, if you read this, you’re my favorite person”.
Jean’s Story:
Do you all remember summer camps? It was the place where your parents dropped you off, because they have to work, and where you made amazing memories with new friends. With Jean’s story, we can understand that distance is a hard process, but not impossible to pass through it and still communicate.
“We met around 12 years ago dropping off our sisters in a Christian camp. Whilst they were setting their things up, José and I were just sitting in a playground and promised each other that we were going to see each other when time comes for us to go to camp. After that, a year passed by, and we meet up at camp. Now he lives in Washington D.C., and the separation has been hard. But we have been passing by for almost two years. He is more than a friend and brother. This is probably the strongest and most important bond I’ve had”.
Veronica’s Story:
Siblings may fight a lot, but their bond is strong since birth. Sisters and brothers are the ones we look up to, our partners in crime, and the ones that have known you since your birth. In Veronica’s story, the progress of her sister’s and best friend’s bond with her grows stronger throughout time. It also shows that relationships can reconnect and surpass past complications.
“My best friends are my sister, and well, my best friend from high school. They’re my girls; the people I do absolutely everything with. About a year ago, they both suddenly moved at the same time. Although I would have never admitted at the time, I felt alone. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy for them, but it still hurt. It felt as if a gate had been shut and I was in one side, and they were in another. I could see, hear, and talk to them; but I wasn’t physically with them. I kept reminding myself that friendships evolve and that this wasn’t over, that it was just different. With a lot of time and about four visits later, I finally let go. I thought the fact that our friendships had changed meant they were over, but when we started creating new memories I realized that this meant we had more opportunities. Now, we don’t just hang out in San Juan, but I get to visit them in Los Angeles and Chicago as well. This was my breakthrough, realizing that I shouldn’t be afraid of change. We embraced change and we ended up in harmony. Friendships are not about being together all the time or telling each other every little thing. Friendships are about enjoying each other’s company, taking it right from where we left off. In the end, I’m grateful to have this two beautiful and extraordinary women in my life. We help each other grow.”
Ana’s Story:
In some cases, friends come along in college. You graduate and start meeting new people. Those friends help you find your way through life, while they accompany you through the rocky road of adulthood. This is my story: where I hope you learn that not talking with your best friend on a daily basis doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten about you. It’s a chance to get to know them on a different level and make new memories.
“I’ve always been an awkward being in this realm of the universe. I set my goals straight and fight to accomplish them; no matter what. But, throughout high school I felt alone – an emptiness. I changed school in sophomore year, and knew a few students from the class. It wasn’t until first year of college, when I started to talk more and hang out with my bestie, Kariann. Our three to four years of friendship have been the best, and we have made a lot of memories at La IUPI. We hung out every day, waited for one of us to get out of a class to grab lunch, and talked our hearts out about our problems. But last semester, she decided she wanted to transfer to Mayaguez and study nursery. I was happy for her because, being the fabulous woman I know she is, I know she slays those classes. I miss her so much and wish we could have been roommates. That was the original plan, before she moved to Mayaguez alone. The friendship is stronger than ever and every day we teach ourselves something new. I thank Kariann because she has been able to see past my weird habits and accompany me through my life as my best friend”.