My boyfriend and I have been together for about 6 months. He is 40 and I am 20. We have plans to be together for the long haul. I LOVE HIM but I have not said it yet. I really have the urge to say it but I'm nervous he won't be ready to reciprocate, even though he cares for me tremendously. I am going back to school in another state in April until June and we have decided to stay together during that time. I want him to know that I love him (because I do!) but how do i know if it is too soon? — lovekanisa

Thank you for sharing your situation. It can take years to get to know someone really well and it’s an ongoing process. Perhaps you might think in terms of keeping the relationship going by continuing to communicate openly and sharing your lives. Keep learning about each other and growing together. Over time, you’ll know what you want to say and do.

You don’t have to say the perfect thing or behave any certain way, just be yourselves and support each other. You might also consider talking calmly and kindly with each other about this transition and listening to each other’s perspective. Remember that you both deserve to be with someone who communicates openly and is there for you. Take care.

Any advice for a long distance relationship??? I need help — Anonymous

Thank you for your question. It’s hard to keep a long distance relationship going because you’re not with each other in person. One thing that you might find helpful is to keep the relationship going in other ways such as talking with each other often, sharing what’s going on in your lives and listening to each other. Ask each other questions and keep learning about each other. Share your thoughts and feelings.

The idea is to stay in each other’s lives and be there for each other. It takes some work but you can keep building the relationship. Over time you’ll figure out what works for both of you. Remember that you deserve to be in a relationship with someone who is there for you and will work on keeping things going in a positive direction. Take care.

Hi so i sometimes doubt the relationship working because of the long Distance but if you ever had that feeling what do you do about it? i hate feeling like this sometimes. but like any advice please? — Anonymous

Thank you for sharing your situation. It’s hard to keep a long distance relationship going because you’re not there with each other in person. One thing that works to keep the relationship going is to communicate often and continue to share your lives.

Talk with each other and keep building the relationship by staying in contact. Keep learning about each other and telling each other about your lives. Over time you’ll figure out if it works for you. Remember that you deserve to be with someone who is there for you and wants to keep the relationship going. Take care.