We’ve moved a lot over the years. So, I’ve become quite the expert at maintaining family relationships and friendships over the miles. I have not received compensation from products mentioned in this post. They work for me, and I want to share them with you. Here are my tips:

Video Chatting

This one seems obvious, but it needs to be said. I love being able to see my loved ones’ faces and hear their voices. However, miles apart mean different time zones and schedules, making spontaneous calls difficult. Ariel and I live on opposing coasts with a three-hour time change. She and I plan our calls days or, even, weeks ahead of time. I use Facebook Messenger for my video calls, but there are many apps to connect this way.

Sorella and I goofing around with filters.
Chatting with my sons.

Marco Polo

Not the game–the app. Marco Polo is the next best thing to a video call. It allows users to leave video messages of any length. I prefer MP over text or calls because, as I said before, I love to see my loved ones’ faces and hear their voices. With MP, I can watch the video when my schedule allows and send a response. Monarch videos me as she drives to work. I enjoy being able to watch the videos and hear about her day. Also, MP made it possible for me to see important moments from Little Prince’s birthday party.

Screenshot from Marco Polo

Group Texts/Messages

We’ve all heard the horror stories about being on group texts, but they can be very useful for maintaining relationships across distances. Low numbers keep the group manageable. The more people on the thread the higher possibility of annoyance. I have a couple of groups: my siblings and my nuclear family. Posting gifs, jokes, and information that matters to the whole group draws us together as a unit.

Common Interests

I know this sounds vague and trite but finding an activity that you can enjoy over distance boosts relationships. My MIL and her nephew watch the same baseball game and text about the plays. Hubby and the boys play Minecraft together. Sovranti makes it possible for us to play popular board games online. Monarch and I share a love of God’s creation and send each other texts of cool wildlife. The possibilities are endless.

Intention

The internet provides more options for remaining close than ever before. However, these methods only work with planning. My most important tip for maintaining relationships is to be intentional. In the end, the relationship will only flourish over distance if you want it to. Take the time to reach out and hold tight to those you love.

Escape the Amoz