Absence Makes the Heart Go Fonder? Or Wander?

Well, this is really a million dollar question for many couples and singles.
LDR or long distance relationships - does it really work? Some people would say no and some would say yes.

Someone told me it does not work. She was in a relationship with a man, seldom spent quality time with him and preserved her purity until it ended after 10 long years. He said he got someone else pregnant. Few days ago, my roommate who’s been in 3 years LDR told me they broke up. She has not yet recovered. (No wonder why for couple of weeks now she’s been staying late every night because she couldn’t sleep.)

Is there a secret to a lasting relationship? Many believe it is physical intimacy. Is it?
LDR, I believe, requires a lot more effort than the regular one. You might ask, “Hey, do you have the right to say something about this subject?” And I would say “yes” and “let us see”. I have yet to come up with the complete list of answers on what keeps it working if it does really work.
I totally disagree that physical intimacy is the ultimate secret to a successful relationship as many people believe in. In fact, I’ve seen many relationships outside marriage that are falling apart because of intimacy. It does play an important role within marriage but outside marriage, it puts the relationship more vulnerable and prone to separation. You’d say,”Oh, it all depends on the level of commitment and love.” But my questions are: “How do you define love?” and “How deep a ‘deep commitment’ is?” Another question is: What motivates a man to pursue a woman if he’s getting all the benefits of marriage?

Ironically, I’m surrounded with friends having failed LDRs. One friend of mine told me after interviewing several male OFWs that men really have a problem with fidelity. This information really causes doubts and fears especially those who are in this situation.

But so far, it is true, as the saying goes, that it takes two to tango. Both parties should cooperate and exert the effort to keep the lines of communication open and the relationship ongoing. Finally, I would say a God-centered relationship that is built on friendship, mutual trust, love & commitment guarantees a successful relationship whether LDR or not.
So, does LDR really work? I would say the answer is yes and no.