Saying goodbye is hard.

Especially if you aren’t going to see the person you’re leaving for a long time.

Lately, I’ve watched several situations where people must say goodbye and leave one another. Some are going off to college, others are joining the military and several are moving because of a job transfer. The reasons vary, the ages of the people are all different but one thing is obvious…

Saying goodbye to someone you love hurts.

It doesn’t matter what the situation is, leaving a person you care about, even when you’re happy about why you’re leaving one another, is hard. Maintaining a long distance relationship can be challenging. Going months without seeing your family member can be taxing. Being far away from someone you care about is anxiety provoking.

If you find yourself having to say goodbye to someone and you don’t know how you’re going to survive, here are a few tips:

Letters

I used to love nothing more than getting the mail when I was a child. There’s something special about finding a letter in the mailbox, addressed to you by someone you care about. It’s a dying art, but one that is still quite effective. If you miss someone, send them a letter and tell them. Receiving a hand written letter will mean more to them than a text message. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the person saves the letter because it’s special. You can say a lot more in a letter versus a text message. Go ahead, try it. I have a hunch you’ll enjoy the process of writing the letter just as much as the recipient who gets to read it.

FaceTime

We’re lucky to live in such a technological time. Not only can we call, text or email people, we can FaceTime them. This is a great way to stay connected because you can see one another. If you’re in different time zones, think about scheduling a mutually convenient time when you can “meet” to talk. What’s especially fun is the ability to show off your dorm room, introduce your new friends or see your grandchildren. I remember when I was a child, imagining the ability to see people on a screen while talking to them. That time is now and it’s a huge blessing.

Send a Package

Even more fun than a letter is receiving a package. I’m not talking about buying something from Amazon at the click of a button and having something shipped for you. Bake cookies, knit something special or make a care package filled with a person’s favorite treats. Sending a hand made package will have an impact on the recipient because it shows you took the time to go out of your way and do something special for the person you miss. Who doesn’t like getting homemade cookies in the mail? In case you’re wondering, I like oatmeal raisin the best.

Call, Text, Email

If you miss someone, there are lots of ways you can stay in constant contact with that person. Call each other in the morning before the day starts, share on social media, send text messages and emails throughout the day and let the person know you’re thinking about them.

If You Can, Surprise Them

Even though there are many ways to stay in touch with the person you miss, there’s nothing better than being together. I can’t imagine a better surprise than wanting to see someone, thinking that person is far away and then having that person surprise you with a visit. If you can somehow manage a surprise visit, do it. Like a lot of things, timing is everything. Make sure you plan your surprise at a mutually beneficial time. It would suck to go to the trouble of planning a surprise only to find out there’s a conflict on the receiving end.

I know it can be hard to be far away from someone you care about. Long distance relationships can be challenging.  Fortunately, there are lots of ways you can keep one another top of mind and stay connected.

As they say, “distance makes the heart grow fonder.”

Find meaning each day,

Dara

If you enjoyed this post, check out this one: United We Stand Divided We Fall.

Here’s my most recent Huffington Post article about Life Lessons.