Being with someone you love in person is always the best way to stay connected. Unfortunately, it’s just not realistic for many of us who have loved ones that live far away. Until they invent teleportation, we just have to suffer emails and texts. And thank goodness for those things! This next letter is from Diana, a young woman who’s recently moved away from the nest, wishing she could invent more time to visit…

Hi Delilah,I grew up in a loving, closer-than-close relationship with my family. I'm the middle child of three. Through high school I became a bit distant from my family while discovering myself and working. After high school I moved from home to the next city to go to culinary school where I also joined a rock band and got into the insanely busy restaurant industry.

Although I'm only 30 minutes from my family, my personal life and career has kept me busier than my family, especially my mom would like. The past 5 years have been challenging for us. My brother and sister both live with my parents and I miss them all very much. I try to visit as often as possible but unfortunately that only happens, at the most, once a month or two.

I'd just like them to know I do miss spending time together and family dinners, chats and cuddling with my mom. They are my world and they have shaped me into the successful and loving person I strive to be.

Sent from my iPhone << see, I'm too busy to send this from an actual computer!
Diana

Sometimes it’s about lack of time, sometimes it’s too much distance, but it is always heart wrenching to be away from someone you love. I have several grown kids and grandkids I don’t get to see enough. I have several good friends I wish I could see more. But there is nothing like a mid-day spur of the moment photo, joke or “thinking about you” over text. It’s not like the warm embrace I long for, but it’s a nice “virtual hug” when I least expect it. Even if you’re too busy to get home, or to an actual computer, send little texts, tweets, posts, emails, that virtual hug that lets your loved ones know they’re on your mind in between visits…