Girlfriend Celebrations - Because Girlfriends Make Life Better

Five Ways to Keep A Friendship Going – Even Over Long Distance

Being a “best friend forever” can be hard work. Then add in variables of time and distance, and you have an equation for an even more difficult relationship. So how do you keep a friendship going across the miles and over the years?

Jenny and Kelly \"Best Story\" contest winner
Jenny and Kelly "Best Story" contest winner
The No nonsense brand recently got some insight into that question as they collected essays from thousands of girlfriends in their No nonsense® Between Friends Contest. With over 16,000 essays submitted on the subject of girlfriendship, No nonsense discovered a treasure trove of girlfriend wisdom! Happily, they’re sharing what they’ve learned with us all. Here are their five tried and true tips to help BFFs stand the test of time:

1. Be invested. It’s going to be a bit harder to connect through different time zones and different phases of life, but if you’re serious, you’ll be invested for the long haul.  Being invested can be as simple as remembering to call weekly or monthly or as complicated as making the effort to plan vacations together.  And the investment can vary over time and space, as long as the relationship remains positive and fulfilling for both friends.

2. Be authentic. The internet offers new and wonderful ways friends can share and get really personal through online support groups and chat rooms.  It’s paramount that you represent yourself authentically because trust and honesty are the foundation of any relationship whether it’s in person or on line.  When you’re sharing about a personal issue, make sure you’re telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth…if you don’t, your friend will know.

3. Make a pact. Many friends separated by time or distance have an unwritten code … that no matter what, they’ll always take that long weekend in October. Or kick off the summer with that special beach celebration.  Make these “appointment” meetings the rule not the exception and do not cancel.

4. Be creative in your contact. Don’t just call.  Jot a quick note saying that, even though you may be separated by distance, you’re thinking about her. Text her just to say hi.  Send flowers to her office. Remember her birthday and anniversary.  Little things go a long way.

5. Make new memories and share old ones. While time and distance certainly pose difficulties, the best friends don’t let that stop them. Sharing a wonderful new memory is a great way to reconnect. Upload a photo to Facebook. Send a photo to your friend in that different time zone. Share a new experience or details of a great evening out … and let your friend know how much you missed them.  Or regale your bi-coastal buddy with a “remember when?” … she’ll get a kick out of a long-forgotten memory popping up on a Tuesday evening.  And she’ll thank you for it!

We think these are great tips, and totally in line with what we promote here at GirlfriendCelebrations – making female friendship a priority and keeping it meaningful. (In fact, you can certainly create a number of fabulous girlfriend memories with the ideas you find here on our site.) We get the impression that No nonsense stumbled onto something bigger than they expected with their Between Friends contest. The huge number of entries proves that women feel passionate about their girlfriendships! We think it’s great that No nonsense is sharing what they learned with the world. Want to see more? You can still vote for people’s choice winners, read some great girlfriend stories, watch some entertaining and touching videos, and be entered in a monthly sweepstakes at www.nononsense.com , so check it out!

Find more friendship tips from the No nonsense contest in next week’s email newsletter. Not on the list? Subscribe now!

3 Comments

  1. [...] Five Ways to Keep A Friendship Going – Even Over Long Distance | Girlfriend Celebrations http://girlfriendcelebrations.com/friendship-building/five-ways-to-keep-a-friendship-going-even-over-long-distance – view page – cached Being a best friend forever can be hard work. Then add in variables of time and distance, and you have an equation for an even more difficult relationship. So — From the page [...]

    Pingback by Twitter Trackbacks for Five Ways to Keep A Friendship Going - Even Over Long Distance | Girlfriend Celebrations [girlfriendcelebrations.com] on Topsy.com — October 8, 2009 @ 1:37 pm

  2. Great Tips! One of my best friends lives only a half an hour a way from me, however being busy working moms we hardly ever meet – just the two of us! We have made a pact: As the seasons change four times a year we will meet for a special morning, afternoon or evening just the two of us! We spent our last morning walking the streets, seeing the sites and sitting in cafes of a city not far from both of us! It was great and the morning flew by. Now we are planning our second special day! She also always carries with her The Friendship Stone that I gave her! She knows even though we don’t always see each other I am always thinking about her! It is a great reminder of our wonderful friendship!

    Comment by shari — October 11, 2009 @ 2:29 am

  3. I really enjoyed this article and emailed it to my dear gal pals Kim in Wisconsin, Amy in Colorado and Sandra in L.A. Also, this article reminded me of the closeness and bond I had with my best friend Kiley. Kiley and I had been best friends since we were 6 years old. Over the years through college, marriages, my divorce, her having children, me moving to California and her in Colorado, we always remained authentic. There could have been times when we didn’t talk for months because time got away from us, but she was the kind of friend, that when we did talk again it was like no time had passed. A few months ago we even sang “You’ve got a friend” (james taylor) to each other via skype!…and just giggled. Our text messages sometimes were “code” that only she and I would get and giggle at. Kiley would say “We are such dorks.” I am so happy, that despite the physical distance between us, we remained the truest of friends — “like peas in a pod” as many would say. After battling breast cancer for two years, less than a month ago it spread to her brain and she passed away two weeks ago. I dearly miss our CLOSE long-distance relationship; I miss answering the phone and hearing her say “You’re never going to believe this!” I miss calling her and without even a need to say hello, we just picked up our conversation “So, anyway, I had this crazy date…” Kiley I miss our friendship. Remember — no matter how far away your girlfriends are, keep them close to your heart.

    Comment by melissa — October 14, 2009 @ 11:27 am

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