When Your Long-Distance Love Is Ill

I find myself in a sad yet very familiar state of mind. My poor Mike, who rarely gets sick, has a bad cold. In fact, I think he got it from me during my recent visit, except I don't have it nearly as bad as he does.

One of my constant struggles in this long-distance relationship world is wanting to be wherever I'm not. I've talked about this before - when I'm in Dallas, I want to be in Denver and when I'm in Denver, I'm thinking of all the things I should be doing in Dallas (not the whole time, of course, just when Mike is at work and I'm alone at his house). But while my sweet love is not feeling well, all I want to do is rush to his side and take care of him.

I want so much to be there to comfort him, to make sure he gets plenty of liquids and plenty of uninterrupted rest. I want to fluff his pillows and rub his neck. I know this sounds a little corny but it's especially hard to be apart when the one I love is hurting.

To make matters worse, Mike can't talk without serious coughing and completely losing his voice. So our conversations have been kept very short, with me doing most of the talking, rambling actually.

There's a feeling of helplessness, a slight guilt, that stays with me, even after the brief conversations end. We should be together! It's times like these that I have to work at not being sad. I remind myself how lucky we are to have one another, even if we aren't in the same place. Just knowing how much I want to be there for him is a reminder of the depth of our love. So I make an entry in my grateful journal - I'm grateful to have a love that touches me deep in my soul. I know I am truly blessed.