For the past six months, I’ve been suffering deeply. The country where I live does not have cheese.
Sure, I can get a spreadable, knock-off version of Velveeta or a bag of frozen, flimsy mozzarella, but no real cheese. No sharp cheddar, no shredded parmesan, and no bleu cheese other than a salad dressing in the imported section.
So, recently, I decided to make my own cheese. With whole milk, vinegar, salt, and herbs, I was able to make a soft, fresh cheese. It was simple and I enjoyed it.
But the cheeses I really miss are hard to make. They require elaborate cooking, straining, and aging processes. Some cheeses take more than 5 months to age. I don’t have the patience or the refrigerator space to store cheese for that long. I want cheese now!
Clearly, my lack of cheese is not that serious, but it reminds me a little of long-distance dating.
When I lived in the United States, I took cheese for granted. I didn’t smile when I saw it in the grocery store, I simply shoved it into my cart. I never considered the time needed to prepare fancy cheeses, I just complained about the prices.
Similarly, when you’re dating someone who lives near you, it’s easy to take the relationship for granted. Your boyfriend becomes an everyday ingredient in your life —nothing special, just a staple.
So, one of the reasons I love long-distance relationships is that your time apart increases your appreciation for each other. You cherish every opportunity to be together. You work hard to find time to talk, and you wait months to see each other.
Most importantly, you recognize that your relationship is an undeserved gift from God. Not everyone in the world has cheese, and not everyone in the world has a boyfriend. You don’t need either one to survive, but both add a unique flavor to life.
So, it’s a bit cheesy, but I encourage you to privately thank God for giving you a long-distance boyfriend. You don’t deserve him any more than you deserve a free cheese platter, so you definitely shouldn’t go around bragging about it.
But, since you’ve got him, don’t forget to praise God for him.
