By definition, love is "an intense feeling of deep affection." But I don't think that even begins to describe the actual meaning of love. Love isn't a thing that can be defined by words. Every person sees & feels love differently, & that's okay! Love is subjective. It also varies between people, mother to daughter, sister to brother, husband to wife, friend to friend. No matter who the love is between, it is special & irreplaceable. Loving someone is the most vulnerable portrayal of appreciation you can give. Be it your mom, dad, brother, sister, grandparents, your love for them shows how much they mean in your life.
In the past 6 months, I have said see ya later to some of the most important people in my life. Obviously, Jake leaving was by far the hardest (not only because, well, he's the love of my life, but also the whole "no communication" thing was not fun), but I also had to say goodbye to two of my best friends (& future bridesmaids.) Megan was the first to go. She moved to South Carolina to pursue a marine chemistry degree (GO MEGAN) & she's rocking it. She only came home twice the whole semester, one because of Hurricane Matthew & the other for Thanksgiving (& my wedding). We made the best of it though, FaceTime is a wonderful invention. I couldn't be more proud of her. Madeline left right before Jake did, & that was hard. We had been best friends for literally our whole life. She lived all of 10 minutes from my house, but now she was 4 hours away. It isn't too far, but much farther than 10 minutes. Being away from her, especially in the difficult times I had being away from Jake, it was hard to go through without my best friend minutes away. We would go a few days without talking because our schedules didn't really work well together. But, we found a way & her coming home some weekends was the highlight of the semester for me. She was the Maid of Honor in Jake & I's wedding, & even from 4 hours away she was still so helpful & the best MOH I could have asked for. I love them both, just from a distance.
Jake being gone the first time was by far the hardest thing I have ever been through in my entire life, & him leaving every time will be terrible. From the first day he left, I was miserable. Saying goodbye to my better half was like watching your heart get ripped out & stomped on. I can still picture his face & his eyes welling up with tears through the "I love you, I'll see you soon" & the final super tight hug before turning around & walking away. Even him leaving this last time, looking into his eyes through both of our tears (him trying to hide his) & saying the final goodbye for we don't really know how long, absolutely destroyed me. It will never, ever be easy to say goodbye to him, even if it is only for a few days. But, I know that every goodbye, every tear, every last hug for a while, is worth it to us both. We both know that no matter how long we go without being next to the other, we will reunite & be better together than we were before. There are times that I feel very bitter & upset about him being gone, like when I see people that don't appreciate their loved one sitting right in front of them while I appreciate mine from thousands of miles away. I would never wish this kind of hurt & longing on anyone, but I will say that it has made me realize how truly blessed I am to have found my better half in him. I love him every single minute of every single day, just from a distance.
Loving can be difficult. Finding the time to put into the person receiving your love can be very hard to do, but it is even worse from far away. Schedules just not lining up, technology failing us, or not knowing when the next time you get to feel their hug can cause someone to go crazy with frustration. There has to be a lot more effort put into your relationship than "normal" relationship. But, conquering the distance proves that love can prevail, & it will. It doesn't matter the city, county, or time difference. If your love, no matter if it's your spouse, your sister, or your best friend, is strong, none of the superficial barriers can stop it from growing into the biggest & best love it can possibly be.
Loving from a distance is hard, but it is so worth it.
-KS
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