How to Celebrate a Long-Distance Birthday
If you have a friend, partner, or family member, who’s living in a faraway part of the world, then keeping in touch might be difficult. Celebrating the special occasions in life might be trickier still – but if you really want to maintain the connection, then it’s worth marking those occasions. Birthdays are a great example. So, how can we mark a special birthday, even when we’re too far away to visit in person? Let’s take a look.
Send a gift hamper
It’s not the quality of the gift that really matters, here, but the thought that goes into preparing it. Make sure that you pay attention to what you’re being told, and that you try to evoke memories of the time that you spent together in person. A gift hamper is usually better than a single one-off gift, as it’ll allow you to avoid disappointment, and add your own personal twist to things. If you want to throw some sweet treats in there, then it might be a good idea to go for something fairly non-perishable, like fudge.
Watch a Film Together
Thanks to the magic of teleconferencing software, you can watch a film together even if you’re not in the same room. Just make sure that it’s something you’ve already seen, as you’re probably going to be talking all the way through it.
Make a Video
You might pre-record a video to wish someone a happy birthday. It’s something that’s far more personal than a digital message, and arguably even a card. If you want to take things further, then you might get in touch with all of their friends, and make a special montage birthday greeting.
Make a Donation
If you know that there’s a charity that’s close to their heart, then you might make a donation on their behalf. In fact, this applies even if they don’t have a particular preferred charity. Just pick one that’s rated highly by your preferred charity aggregator.
Start a Book Club
If you’d like to stay in touch over the long term, then having something to talk about can be invaluable. This is where a book club can be hugely worthwhile. Let them pick the first book, and invite a few friends to contribute every week. If you’re shopping for someone that’s going to be away for months, then this can be a great way to stay in touch.
