I had no clue until now😳

As we grow old, life has a way of pulling us in a dozen different directions. We finish school, get a job, fall in love, and have family on our own. And while these experiences are wonderful and simply part of life, they also have a tendency to distract us from our relationship with our parents. Between the long working hours and and the chaos daily life brings, there’s rarely much time and energy left for those long, soul-searching phone calls or weekend visits. If distance, such as moving to another city or country, enters the equation, then keeping contact becomes a steeper uphill climb.

Data backs this up. Studies have shown that distance truly is a hurdle when it comes to staying close with your parents. In fact, a study published in the Journal of Population Ageing found that the farther away you are from someone, the less face-to-face interactions you have with the other person, which can cause the spark to die down gradually.

Pew Research Center also recently explained how even when the family loves each other so dearly, the real reason why we do not contact each other as often as we should is because of things like busy schedules or moving away.

Interestingly, it’s not just about how often you talk, but the quality of those conversations and visits. According to a research by PubMed, “checking the box” with a quick phone call does not always translate to being close. It’s the quality of the time spent together and showing up for each other when it counts that makes the relationship real.

Getting distant from your parents usually happens slowly and as a result of the logistics of adulthood.

Whether it’s a standing Sunday night FaceTime, a quick text to say ‘thinking of you,’ or making the drive when you can, it’s all about keeping the drifting at bay. It takes effort to stay close, and it’s this effort that prevents a family from becoming strangers.

Unresolved Conflicts and Difficulties