holidays and anniversaries

[pandalovers4]

Hi everyone!

I've sort of been lurking for a while, but this is my first post here. This site has really been a positive resource for me through my relationship!

So here's my story: today is my one year anniversary with my SO, and I'm very excited! However, he's unable to talk much today and won't have service at all the next few days. We already celebrated yesterday, but it doesn't feel quite the same not being able to do something the day of.

My question for you guys is, what do you all do for feel-good activities during anniversaries/holidays when you can't be with or talk to your SO? I for one know that holidays get me down too when I can't be with him. I'm used to the usual amount of missing on a day-to-day basis, but holidays and anniversaries seem much different than a normal day. So, is there any music you listen to or movies/tv you watch that make you happy? Random hobbies you do? Other ldr related sites that you visit, etc etc?

Thanks for reading!

[TaraMarie]

Tomorrow is one week that I married my SO.....And he is currently sitting in an airport trying to get here. He has been there for five hours. One flight gas already been canceled.....so it looks like I may not be with him after all and I am so freaking upset!

I am sorry....I had to vent! Carry on.

[QueenD]

I've been with my SO about six months and we haven't had a ton of holidays or anniversaries to worry about yet, but we have had a couple of special occasions to deal with when we couldn't be together - one was when he opened up his side business and the other is his birthday. My boyfriends love languages are quality time and words of affirmation, so what I have done is arranged with his friends to get him a gift that demonstrates thought and effort to understand what he would enjoy. For his business opening, I got him a box of his favorite cigars and a bottle of his favorite liquor and had a friend deliver it to him. For his birthday, I am staging a card shower - I've had friends of his send me cards and letters. I'm going to box them up and send them to his other friend, who is going to arrange a few peeps to take him for a drink after work and give him the cards and whatnot. I will talk to him that day if possible, but that's actually questionable because I have to work 12 hrs that day.

[Elizabeth123]

Welcome to LFAD!
It's difficult to not be with your SO on a special day. But I always think the calendar date doesn't apply. The actual day you can hold each other is the "DAY".
But that doesn't stop us from sending a small gift or card to arrive in time. We plan a Skype or a call and enjoy each other. Check the main LFAD website...it has lots of good suggestions to celebrate.

[R&R]

My SO and I have not spent a Thanksgiving or Christmas together yet. Last year we missed spending our birthdays together (our birthdays are the 8th and 10th of November, so we celebrate together) and this year we missed the anniversary of our first meeting, which also happens to be Valentine's Day. We do things when we can. One year we celebrated Christmas and Valentine's Day together when I went out for a visit on Valentine's; I just brought all his presents with me.

We look at it as "it is what it is for now" and know that it won't always be this way. We make sure to talk and try to Skype on those days. It's not an ideal situation but it is a reality in an LDR and we knew that from the beginning. I find trying to focus on the positives instead of the negatives makes it easier. How you approach it and your attitude about the situation are going to set the tone.

[80anthea]

We've been together four years now and still haven't had a 'celebration day' of any kind together. Missed Christmas, New Year, Birthdays, Anniversaries, Valentine's.....all of em!

We just tend to make up holidays when we are together. After all most holidays were just made up by someone anyway!

[C.C.]

I don't even know when me and my SO's anniversary will be

On a serious note, the only holiday we had together as a couple was Valentine's Day. We didn't really do anything during that day itself but Gravity Falls finale got released a day or two after, so we spent that day together instead.
It was the first time I had webcammed with him while watching something and it was one of the best feelings to be able to see him react to it. Then we spontaneously decided to watch HTTYD 2 on the same day, because it's one of my favourite things ever and he had seen the first movie only. Watching that was even better, I think. I am being biased here though.

Anyway, I don't think it should be themed for the holiday or something. I think going to Deadpool together was the main Valentine's day activity for many couples this year
What matters is to just spend the day together and have fun, and it doesn't matter if the day is the same day exactly that you are supposed to celebrate. Doing it few days after feels just as nice :3

P.S. Another memorable things we did was spending New Year's eve together, (we hadn't confessed the yet) I have always loved New Year's and it has always had a special meaning for me. We just spent it chatting, sending each other funny videos, etc and most part of it was one of the best times I had ever had. We even watched fireworks "together" even if it meant just chatting and describing what we saw, and it was the first time he called me something really lovely as well, like something I could actually take as him having a crush on me. Even if I kept convincing myself till the end that it wasn't the case

NOTE: this all refers to online activities as I have yet to meet him~

[differentcountries]

We were together on his birthday last year, and I was with him on Eid last year, apart from that we are apart on important days and holidays. We celebrated my birthday in advance once, and his birthday plus Valentine in advance once.

[sasad]

We are together every holiday now. It was different when visitation was with my son on certain days. Any holiday we missed, we skyped and made it ours.

[pandalovers4]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I'm sorry to everyone who also can't be with their SOs during anniversaries/holidays. It's nice to hear your stories and ideas, though! I feel kind of sappy because I usually like to celebrate events the day of, but that doesn't work very well a lot of the time right now. I'm sure over time I'll get more used to celebrating a few days in advance.

[staruletto]

I kinda just focus on work or projects as we haven't had a chance to celebrate anything. Well, scratch that, we spent our 1 yr anniversary on skype and we both made steaks and played mario kart, but that's not the same as in person and we basically skype daily. I'd love to go over there (Norway) for christmas but that's sooooo hard in my line of work (pet grooming, we're slammed around the holiday season all the way up until the 23rd). IDK...i might say fuck it and try to go there next year or something.