Speech 1

Long Distance Relationship (LDR) 

• typically an intimate relationship
• partners separated by a considerable distance
• millions of people got no choice but to deal with miles apart from loved ones

Examples:

- offshore meetings, soldiers, high school sweethearts, overseas contract workers, movie stars, online dating

Ways to stay connected

Those days - telephone conversations / corresponding via mail

These days - Internet, LDR is less challenging to sustain with modern technologies

Examples:

- cell phones, e-mail, online chatting, video conferencing, social networking sites, shared offline activities

No matter who we are, no one is excused by the obstacles. So can it work?

Three major components to successful relationship:

• establish trust
• making time
• be thoughtful

Statistics

In 2005, according to The Center for the Study of Long Distance Relationships,

1. estimated 2.9% of US marriages were considered long distance.
2. 1 in 10 marriages included long distance within first 3 years.
3. approximately 3,500,000 people involved in long distance marriages.
4. estimated 4 to 4.5 million college couples in non-marital LDRs.
5. about 1/3 married couples in large cities around the world are living apart due to job commitments, studies, military development.
6. frequency of break ups is NOT greater than normal relationship.

Problems

-can be manageable with right mentality, but ups and downs are unavoidable regardless how strong the relationship may be.

1. so easy to lie
2. trust is only as strong as you imagine it to be
3. pent up energies
4. difficulty in taking things to the next level
5. sometimes you really DONT know them at all

Tips to repair LDRs problems

- where to get your love back when it seems lost?

1. go visit
2. do some digging
3. be brutally honest
4. admit your mistakes
5. plans? what are your plans in the future?
6. make sacrifices

Conclusion

• difficult commitment to honor
• difficult but not impossible
• distance should not be the basis to end a relationship
• test to make the bond stronger
• feel that he/she is the one God chosen, go for it. 
• but if you have doubts, do not waste each others' time and resources