Special Valentine's Day Suggestions for Your Long Distance Relationship

Having conducted courtship by long distance and spending many days apart from my family while on trips, I've learned the importance of going that extra mile to especially make sure that our special days are commemorated in thoughtful and special ways.

Part of the fun and importance of celebrating a special day, such as Valentine's Day with you significant other is the time you spend together. But when you're separated by the miles you have to make up for it in how you approach what you can do for them even though you aren't with them.

There are two kinds of long distance relationships:

1. The one that is short term that you will be back within a few days, but you miss some of the time of being with each other and often the special dates.

2. The one that is longterm, where you are separated by miles and time, either by military service, schooling, employment or by family relocation.

I've experienced both. For the first one, we just celebrate those special days before I leave on my latest trip. Those don't really need suggestions for special treatment. But the second situation does, since you are in the position of needing to compensate for your physical absence. Trying to find ways to create that same atmosphere of intimacy without the physical proximity.

During our courtship, there were several things that we did to cultivate our relationship, to bring it beyond the 2-D aspect that can endanger a long distance connection.

We developed:

1. Ways of communicating to each other that were uniquely ours because of what we put into them. This was when the internet was still in its beginning stages and not widely available, especially in a recognizable non-computer language:

A. We made long, frequent, fun phone calls where we just talked about ourselves and each other and about whatever else was going on in our lives.

B. We wrote long and descriptive letters inside fun on-topic cards with drawn illustrations about what we were writing about. We often enclosed tiny durable gifts with the cards.

2. We listened to each other and sent special gifts that applied to each other's lives and expressed needs at the moment. They were all sent unannounced as surprises.

A. We sent several gifts to each other. But the only one I can remember, blew the rest out of the water. My husband sent me a yellow, hand crocheted afghan for my birthday because I was living in a cold house at the time. He also enclosed a note telling me that he'd also filled the box with warm Hawaiian sun to help keep me warm until he saw me.

B. We sent frequent small gifts, enclosed in our letters, that went along with a theme that we'd developed in our conversations. It gave us a personal code and connected on a deeper level that told each other that we were thinking of each other through the day and considering each other in our actions.

I still carry this on in all of my trips. We talk on the phone or communicate by internet every day that I'm gone and I bring home gifts that carry on some personal themes that speak to my husband. He has also done it when he's on the job or out and about.

In this article I've listed several other ways to connect with your special significant other that will help you to keep connected and to help each other feel special even though you may be miles apart:

1. The social network connection:

I have accounts on Face Book, Twitter and My Space. I use Face Book the most since that's where most of my friends are. So, I know this application the best. There are a lot of virtual gift applications on this website that you could send to for a Valentine's Day along with a note. This is also a good way to keep connected and to share photos and other thoughts which you can choose to be public or private or use the instant messenger.
http://www.facebook.com/

2. youtube video:

Now, I'm not experienced in this one. Although I've enjoyed a lot of youtube videos. But for those of you who are or want to be experienced in this, this is another suggestion for sending something memorable and special, except it might not be so private. But then you're getting this advice from a woman who received letters from her future husband who had illustrated his intentions all over the outside of the envelopes for the entire world to read.
http://www.youtube.com/

3. Care package of gifts:

This is what we specialize in. Cruise your favorite stores and look for all those little goodies that you know that your significant other would really enjoy, until you have the box filled with enough items to send. We look for practical, fun and unusual items. They don't need to be expensive. But they do need to be nice and different than the expected. For example, my husband likes to collect cows. so I look for unusual and if possible, humorous and definitely unique cow items in figurines, mugs, calendars, boxes, candy, jewelry, clothing, slippers and the latest is a cow on a dvd.

4. Gifts ordered on-line:

There is a huge selection of on-line stores that you can order just about anything for Valentines gifts. The gifts.com website acts as a clearing house for many of the top websites that are offering a wide range of unique gifts. Or you could go to your favorite department store website.
http://www.gifts.com/occasions/valentines-day/o7hraicp

5. E-card, phone call:

A phone call is always a good choice, so is an ecard. there are several websites for actual free ecards. I've included three to choose from. Some of these can also be printed out so you could actually mail it in case you need or want to.
http://www.123greetings.com/events/valentines_day/
http://www.care2.com/send/catvalentine1.html
http://www1.egreetings.com/ecards/category.pd?path=1055

6. Gift card:

You can either go to your favorite store which also needs to have a location where your special someone lives, or has an on-line website where they can order from, or you can go to the gift card mall and shop a wide range of stores for just the perfect gift card.
https://www.giftcardmall.com/

Sources:

http://www.facebook.com/

http://www.youtube.com/

http://www.gifts.com/occasions/valentines-day/o7hraicp

http://www.123greetings.com/events/valentines_day/

http://www.care2.com/send/catvalentine1.html

http://www1.egreetings.com/ecards/category.pd?path=1055

https://www.giftcardmall.com/