Dr Ekpo Ezechinyere: Medical doctor/Writer

 

I stumbled on his story on his Facebook page and became a captivated fan. His stories were thrilling. At that time I was toying with the idea of writing a Bible-based Christain story and reading his writing on Bible-based characters really pushed me to take the step that gave birth to my first Christain romance story, Decoration of Faith.

He is so full of talents; I have followed the trail of his writing and have often wondered how he coordinated the many parts that makeup who he is?

Who is Dr Ekpo Ezechinyere?

I am a medical doctor and a passionate writer (different genres of writing), but my focus is majorly faith-based. I am also one of the writers of Strain, a Nigerian movie that won the Best International Movie award at the Urban Film Festival, Miami in 2020.
I founded the Facebook groups, Christian Writers and Authors Network (CWAN) and Heaven’z Muzik with some friends. CWAN is a nest for Christian writers who want to sharpen the swords of their crafts. We employ Solomon’s iron sharpens iron concept. HM is for lovers of gospel music.

I am also a consultant, counsellor, and coach.

I blog at https://drekpo.com/.


How did you become a writer?

I had always dabbled in writing. Starting with romantic poems in secondary school, I graduated into writing for the press of my medical school. Ultimately, I became the Editor of the NCCMDS (Nigerian Christian Conference of Medical and Dental Students) Press of my university. However, it was after I became a doctor that I got the call to go the whole nine yards and write for God.

What lured you into becoming a Christian writer?

I had an epiphany. Dr Luke was also a huge inspiration. He wrote two of the biggest books in the Bible, and the artistry of his documentation was stratospheric!

Furthermore, one of the best ways of preserving generations is through storytelling, and I realized if we don’t bring our Christian stories to life, they might become fossilized for our children.

The Bible is the greatest story resource ever and unfortunately, in my book, A Guide to Christian Writing, I mentioned that with the holy writ, many Christians are like a Jedi Knight who doesn’t know what to do with a light-sabre. Woe is us (in Paul speak) if we don’t tell our stories. Stories not told are at the risk of being hijacked. Last, I wanted to tell biblical stories in ways that will resonate with the next generation. Same content, but contemporary methods of delivery.

Any interesting fact about your book/script you want to share with us?

My book, A Guide to Christian Writing, is a cocktail of many things, but the message is about why, and how to become a Christian writer/author. Strain is a movie on sickle cell disease, but the entire essence of it is hope.

How do you get information or ideas for your stories?

Praying, reading voraciously (the Bible especially), meditations, observation, mostly.

 What does your family think of your writing?

Lol…It’s an accepted way of life now.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in writing your books/scripts?

I knew nothing, absolutely nothing. Writing is a universe of its own.

Is there any author or book that influenced you either growing up or as an adult?

Plenty. Wilbur Smith, Dean Koontz; however, the most influential ones were Charles Swindoll and Max Lucado.

What do you consider your best accomplishment as a writer?

Stepping out to be used despite all my fears and inadequacies.

How many books have you written? What are the challenges you faced in writing and publishing them?

 

I have written two, but only published one: A Guide to Christian Writing. Traditional publishing is like reaching for the stars. Navigating the bends of the digital world can frustrate sometimes. All in all, it has been a significant learning experience.

How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?

Social Media and Amazon mostly.

How do you combine being a doctor, a storyteller and a scriptwriter?

I learnt to multitask like a juggler. I recently took a break from medicine, though. But presently gearing to wade back into its pools.


What is your best script so far?

I am working on one which I want to produce.


What are the challenges of being a writer in Nigeria?

Unlike in more developed worlds, making a career of writing in Nigeria is still like climbing a branchless, smooth tree with greased palms.


What measures are you taking to promote your books and are they yielding fruits?

Social Media and Amazon. It has been slow so far (drip, drip), but every day, I am learning and applying the skills that will stoke the flames of momentum.

What are the feedbacks from your readers like?

Encouraging, mostly. They fuel my passion.

Where is the best channel to reach you and learn more about your books?

My website https://drekpo.com/

Christian Writers’ and Authors’ Network (CWAN)

Heaven’z Muzik

Facebook: Ekpo Ezechinyere

Facebook Page: Christian Writing with Dr Ekpo

Instagram: @docekpo

Twitter: @docekpo

Amazon

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers, especially in your genre?

I would advise them to develop grits and tenacity more than anything else. It’s a marathon and not a sprint. It is he who endures to the end that will be saved.
For the Christian Writer, inspiration trumps all. If not, all that we will give our world will be enticing words of men’s wisdom that lack the power to inspire and transform. We would be chefs cooking insipid meals. The letter kills, but the spirit gives life.

What else are you great at that few people know about?

Lol… speaking, leadership, people skills, teaching, coaching, etc.

 How do you relax?

Movies, Music, reading, watching football and wrestling, playing video games, taking walks…

What’s your favourite music/film?

Difficult choice o. Very. But for movies, I’ll choose anything from the Star Wars and James Bond franchises.

I will go with Anchor by Hillsong for music.



Book link for those in Nigeria:

https://drekpo.com/christianwriting/

Amazon link: http://mybook.to/Guide2ChristianWriting 

 

Real Love Versus Romantic Love

 It is difficult to define love because people’s perception of love differs. Often people mistake lust, attraction, and companionship for real love. But these are in the domain of romantic love. And also, that every feeling or emotion is labelled love makes it difficult to differentiate between the two.

I wrote a book on relationship titled, Concepts of Love, before I started writing, I went out to sample opinions on what love is. I discovered the definition of love is as varied as the number of individuals I asked. People defined love based on their feelings, beliefs, experiences and even intellectual perspectives.

One definition of love I gave in the book is: Love is an emotive expression of our humanity, our inner self, and our heart desires. To love and be loved is unavoidably a human phenomenon. We all need love, we want to love. The feeling to love, to give love has been there since creation.

Before my mother’s generation, people didn’t marry because of their feelings for one another. Feelings didn’t matter in the olden days. Families arranged marriages, it was an economic or political arrangement designed to promote the survival and prosperity of clans and families. 

It was a duty, not something you engage in for personal fulfilment or emotional pleasure. Sex was a biological function, engaged in for procreation. However, along the line, you’re expected to develop trust, understanding, and intimacy, with each other to make the marriage work.  

It wasn’t until the industrial age that things changed. When romance was added as a prerequisite for a relationship/marriage, it changes the dynamism of love and also our perception and reception of love. That is when the term Real love and Romantic love came into existence. 

In one of my earlier articles titled, Is love enough to sustain a relationship, I talked of real love and romantic love and some people asked me to differentiate between the two, hence this month’s topic.

Characteristics of Real love

Real love is a constant commitment to a person regardless of present circumstances. It’s a constant commitment to a person no matter their quirks, character traits, emotional baggage and flaws. A person who will rely on you, just as you will rely on them. 

A person who will not always please you or make you feel good. It’s dealing with another person’s insecurities and fears even when your own issues are just beside you.

Real love is not temporary, it is deep, abiding, a love impervious to emotional whims or caprices. It is a fusion of two hearts to share a life of togetherness.

Real love is beyond conditions, cons and pros. It’s all-encompassing.

Real love is making your partner’s happiness your priority. It is not about finding your happiness in them, rather, it’s sharing your happiness with them. 

Real love is an exotic flower that requires hard work to keep it from withering and dying off. It requires work to keep it in bloom and fresh. 

Work hard every day, to shape yourself, appear attractive, and become a better you.

Work hard to improve your feelings, and be affectionate, this will draw you closer to your partner. 

Work hard to become wiser, for sound judgement and stronger to bear the unbearable sacrifices that come with truly loving a person. 

Real love is learning to adjust yourself and be in sync with your partner. She or he does the same. Real love will not require obligatory sacrifices, cajoled or forced changes. All the changes should be out of affection and real love for your partner.

Real love incorporates other similar feelings such as sincerity, trust, understanding, intimacy, the desire to help each other, mutual feelings, and mutual sympathy. It is the ability and willingness to go into a relationship with someone with no fear of being rejected, ridiculed, or judged.

Love is natural and involuntary because it is a feeling that one cannot stop. Real love is when you don’t know the reason you love a person, there is no reason for loving someone. Real love is unconditional. Real love is beyond jealousy, hatred and insecurities.

Real love is without expectation, it is not tied to time, seasons or moments. It is something that grows over time, not a fleeting feeling to be thrown around, handed out or tossed aside when it no longer suits.

When you truly love someone, you expect nothing from him/her besides loving you back. 

Real love is a bond with another that goes deeper than affection, attraction, lust, or friendship. It's a mutual expression of respect, trust, honesty, integrity, intimacy, connection, and togetherness. Real love is not a gesture, but something best experienced through commitment, devotion, loyalty, and faith,

Real love is a connection between two souls; it connects the souls to a deeper level. Real love is in your subconscious, in your soul. Real love can not be restricted, it flows from the inside between two souls, not between two bodies.

Real love is getting used to someone knowing their shortcomings, their knacks, idiosyncrasies and flaws and still wanting to be there for them, caring for their wellbeing, their success, grieving with them when they're sad, celebrating with them when they're happy. Real love is respecting your partner after knowing their not-so-glamorous past life.

Real love is consistent, grounded, unwavering and has more to do with a deep sense of conviction than mere feelings. Real love won’t waver or wither because your partner made a mistake or commit what you considered a social faux pas. It forgives wrongs and mistakes. It’s generous and has genuine intentions. 

Real love is a complete acceptance of a person including flaws and loving them for what they are. You love the person as they are without changing them. You love the person for what they are and not for any single quality.

Real love does not need a reason(s) to end a relationship. Whenever hurdles or problems arise it finds reason(s) to continue and make it last forever. That’s real love. It is not an emotion or feeling; it is an act of will. Real love is beyond material and physical boundaries. It doesn’t need any external force to make it work. 

Real love is like pure water, (not our sachet water) it is not sensational, it is not sentimental; it is not intoxicating; you don’t get high from drinking pure water. Real love is simple, pure, transparent, and life-giving like pure water. 

Love is not always simple or exciting, but it's beautiful, satisfying and meaningful. It brings true happiness, not just a series of highs as in romantic love.

Characteristics of Romantic Love

Romantic love is when romance is added to love. What is romance? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

Romance: to try to influence or curry favour especially by lavishing personal attention, gift, or flattery.

Romanticise: to glamorise, glorify, idealise

• Having no basis in fact: Imaginary.

• Impractical in conception or plan: Visionary.

• Marked by the imaginative or emotional appeal of what is heroic. Adventurous, remote, mysterious, or idealised.

It shows that we use the word romantic for something that is unrealistic. That’s why romantic love is most times unpractical and unrealistic. People are not so realistic when they’re in the throes of romantic love, they idealise love and their partner. An apotheosis no one can live up to. When the glittery, the appeal and the vision wear off and the reality check sets in, the relationship goes up in smoke.

Romantic love is an instant attraction that craves physical affection. It is a fall for the body, not the soul, as in real love. Attraction is about admiring the person, being struck by someone's physical appearance, some feature or superficial quality. Loving the person for his/her beauty and how he/she makes you feel. Once that romanticised quality or feeling is gone, the love goes too. 

In the beginning, romantic love is intense and makes one act irrationally, or ‘crazy.’ like someone high on drugs or alcohol. It is always associated with thrill, pleasure, excitement, and exhilaration. But these intoxicating feelings are ephemeral. Romantic love is a deciduous relationship.

Romantic love has a hidden desire and is possessive. With time, such feelings as jealousy, impatience, misunderstanding, lust, discord and strife take over the affair. This is because romantic love is all about physical qualities and desires that fade with time. 

Romantic love holds grudges, simple mistakes or misunderstandings can break the relationship. Negative things are easily seen and pointed out. In romantic love, a person’s flaws will make you rethink your decision about the relationship.

Romantic love comes with huge baggage of expectations, the reason it requires an outward expression and gestures like an exchange of gifts, flowers, or dinner at intimate places. That’s why Valentine’s Day is important to romantic lovers. 

In romantic love, “I love you” is a common phrase with no deep meaning. Romantic love is like a fairy tale, we all crave the ‘happily-ever-after fantasy.

Once the excitement and exhilaration wear off, and we’re back to reality, we want out.

These are clear discrepancies between real love and romantic love, some people mistake one for the other. Many people prefer romantic love to the reality of real love; it’s more glamorous to appear connected to someone than to actually feel connected to them.

Adeola Adejokun(Banker & Author)

 

Adeola Adejokun, a banker and an author, is a young man full of vigour and ideas, a bundle of talents, a great sense of humour which reflects in his writings. Artistic, with a good and insightful imagination that makes his books rich in creativity and humour. He has this unique way of writing where he treats issues in a Tête-à-tête style. Do you want to enjoy his articles, then click on the page, Tête-à-tête?

 

 

1. Tell us a little about yourself?

 My name is Adeola, I was born into a small Catholic family in the heart of Ibadan. I attended Saint Williams Catholic Primary School, Eyinni High School, Offa Polytechnic and The Polytechnic Ibadan where I got HND in Electrical Engineering. I am happily married with children.

 2. When did you write and when did you finish your first book?

I wrote my first book in 1989 and my first self-published book titled VISION in 1999. It was an e-book published by Fairgo Books, Australia.

3. How did you choose the genre you write in?

 I just think about stories and write; it is difficult to classify the genre few of my books fall under. Most of my books revolve around romance.

4. Where do you get your ideas?

From discussions. I am an excellent conversationalist, so; it is always easy for me to get ideas from people consciously and unconsciously. These days I am in many Whatsapp groups, I am active in a few and dormant in many I always take time after work to read messages on all Whatsapp group. They are usually very enlightening.

5. Do you experience writer’s block?

Yes. It is natural, it is part of life.

6. Is there any author or book that influenced you either growing up or as an adult?

 Yes, Philosophical Essays by Prof. Tam David West really shaped my view about life. I read the book several times with ‘Question Young People Ask’, a Jehovah Witness publication.

 7. Tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

 I had a serious challenge with getting a good editor and when I eventually got one; it was very expensive, but she made it easier just to encourage me to write more and recommended the book DIRTY HOUSE to her students. After crossing that hurdle, the printer that published the book did not do a good job, the layout was terrible and almost over 400 copies were wasted. I paid for new plates and we started printing again because I don’t want to disappoint the school and lecturer that recommended the book to the students.

There was a time a lecturer needed about 300 copies of UNBORN CHILDREN, He recommended it to the students and this put me in a tight corner. I was happy to have 300 students but the remaining 700 copies will be a waste or kept in the house. I brainstormed for days and eventually discovered an alternative way of printing my books without going through conventional printers.  

8. How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?

 By convincing lecturers first, confirm the number of students and publish.

 9. Tell us about your upcoming book?

 My upcoming book is a work I abandoned for over four years now. The title is Sango; it is about the life of Sangowanwa, an adherent of Sango who left Oyo for Europe after praying to Eledumare to give a sense of mission and impact in life.

 10. Is anything in your books based on real-life experiences or purely all imagination?

 They are all fictions, though shaped by reading and experiences in life.

11. What do you consider your best accomplishment as a writer?

 From my experiences, once you are a writer, especially when people can feel hard copies of your work in their hands. It is easy for people to conclude you are a responsible person. When I noticed this, I meticulously blend my banking career with writing, and it has helped me in a lot of ways. I have won no award as a writer and author I have met many influential people because I am a writer.

12. How did you come up with your titles?

From the contents. The titles can change, especially when the story changed direction during writing.

 13. You have a day job as well? How do you combine working and writing?

I am a Customer Experience Management Personnel in the bank. I attend to customers from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and use two hours to round up. That is 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. besides ATM duties on the weekend. With my work, it is difficult to write but when there is a will, there will always be a way. In 2020, I wrote ten books, under what I called: HIGH SCHOOL STORIES SERIES. Each book is between 50 and 60 pages. With the determination to wake up between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. at least four times a week, I could achieve this. It is all about determination.

 

14. How many books have you written? Any favourite and why?

Nineteen books. Stupid Affairs. Because it is a product of real-life experience, a huge crush on an older sister and my imagination on what could happen in the relationship.

 

 15. What are the challenges of being a writer in Nigeria?

 No publishers to publish books and people are not reading because attention has shifted to films and social media effects. Because of this, writers are gradually changing from novels to scriptwriting. The patience to read is no more there among the youth.

16. What measures are you taking to promote your books and are they yielding fruits?

I don’t have any measure for now. I will look into that this year

17. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say about your writing?

When I first published DIRTY HOUSE, I had a BBM group where I interacted with students; they asked questions and expressed their views. I also formed a WhatsApp group in other to interact with students. Apart from that, other readers were people around me.

 

Responses to DIRTY HOUSE and UNBORN CHILDREN were fantastic, both of them are unusual concepts, especially UNBORN CHILDREN. A student was scared, she said she was seeing unborn children in her dreams; she went to the HOD and she (HOD) took time to educate her. She told her it was just the writer’s imagination, there was nothing like that.

 18. Where is the best way to reach you and learn more about your books?

 The best way to reach me is via adejokson@gmail.com

 My books are on lulu books, Amazon and Okada Books.

                   https://adejokson.wixsite.com/adeola

                   www.amazon.com/author/adeola  

             

  

 

 

           

UNFETTERED AFFECTION

Love,

Unwithered and Unbroken

A moving sea between the shores of our souls

Bright as the starless night sky

Woven into the beats of life

The plant that never blooms

 But carries in itself

The seed of hidden flowers

Unending legacies

Living long in eras we haven't fortuned

Just like the cry of an infant

Rattling the love of its mother

The swift passing of beautiful memories

Blooming out on a petal of grace and phase

The glittering light of love

Dripping from the heart

With moist longed by all with breath

Even to the glorious future unseen

CHUKWUJEKWU CHINENYE JUDITH (guest writer)

All is Well(Poem)

 

The world was silent when we died

Pains that births greater pain

Agonies that rips soul outta their bodies

The brouhaha that comes with life

Nobody to shield us from the hullabaloo

In our deaths, we will rise again

Tucked away in our graves

Is a speck and ray of hope

From which we would rekindle the fire

For if it's all a practice

Then all is well

And if all is well

The practice can be lived.

 By chinenye chukwujekwe(guest writer) 

Pawns In The Hand

 Love is so illogical and full of pains and heartache, so Naomi discovers when she finds herself at a crossroad. Where she has to make a choice between her true love Godfrey, who after three years of absence reappeared into her life to claim her back and Tony, the father of her unborn child and the man she is set to marry.

What is the right thing to do, to listen to her conscience or follow her heart?

Ways to tackle problems of a long-distance marriage/relationship

 

Life is still happening even though you are apart from the one you want to share life with. You can live your life normally and still enjoy your marriage. It’s a choice.

Though being in a long-distance relationship often means operating within a set of limitations. Like being married and living single without the freedom of singleness. 

But there are things you can do to counteract the downsides. And that is constantly working to improve your intimate relationship and leave no room for strife. 

There are many ways in which you can make your partner happy and strengthen the overall relationship. The ways in which individuals act and react to situations have a major effect on the satisfaction and the durability of the relationship. 

Conflict management

There is no hiding it, every relationship experiences conflicts once in a while. Whether you live on another side of the world or you live together. You will face challenges in your marriage/relationship, all it requires is for you to work together to overcome them. Couples in a long-distance relationship face almost the same challenges as couples who live near each other, 

We all go through tough times which are normal, couples who are together can resolve conflict quickly than long-distance couples because distance can mask the effects of some significant relational issues and as such prolong them.

If you’re in a long-distance relationship, it’s important you’re aware of the causes and solutions of these conflicting issues, so you can catch them earlier and deal with them.

Openness in sharing feelings & activities

When you are apart most of the time, you don’t get to have the advantage of non-verbal communication to gather information on how your partner is feeling without being told. This means that you and your spouse need to be more open about sharing your feelings and activities. You will also have to listen more carefully to each other and show empathy more overtly to build your intimacy. Romance is not only a physical thing. It incorporates the emotional side of a couple.

Try conveying your feelings openly and do not assume your partner will know, always be explicit to avoid miscommunication. When you learn to openly share your feelings and activities with your partner, then your long-distance relationship will be healthy and stronger.

 A woman told me her twenty-five years of marriage so far has been long distance, she and her husband are not good in sharing their feelings, I love you or I miss you is never in their communication repertoire. But they are transparent when they talk about their daily activities, the family and the children. Initially, her husband did the visiting, now her children are all grown and schooling in the East where her husband works and lives, they stay with him during the holidays and she visits.

When she moved to a new neighbourhood, she made sure all her new friends and neighbours knew she has a husband she loves and respects, who is constantly a part of her life. Though he rarely visits.  If you did give her something no matter how insignificant the gift was, her husband must hear of it and will call the person to express appreciation. Also, if she has issues or is in dispute with anybody, she will report to her husband and he will call the person involved to resolve it. In the event of anything before she takes action she must let her husband know.

Despite the distance, she said she felt closer to her husband more than most of her friends that are living together with their husbands. It wasn’t easy initially, especially when she was still giving birth to the children, staying awake most of the night to nurse a child. Waking up early to prepare the ones going to school, doing school runs and still running her business because the husband’s salary couldn’t carry the family responsibilities.

Regular visits are important.  

I wrote earlier that absence makes the heart grow fonder. But prolonged absence can make the heart grow sour and apart. To avoid this from happening, try to visit as often as possible. If you can’t physically visit, then try to communicate daily. But don’t assume daily communication will provide enough connect to hold the relationship together. Some will claim I used to call always. Bah! That’s not enough. Spending physical time with each other is still important, your relationship may thrive on communication, but it’s not the same as actually being with one another.

When you visit, try to share house tasks with your partner, let your presence be felt within and around the house. Some men when they visit their families, they don’t help with house chores and child care. They claim they’re home to rest and so should not be disturbed. As if the woman is a workhorse who doesn’t deserve rest too.

While growing up I have a friend who had a visiting dad, whenever the man was around they walk on eggshells around the house to avoid disturbing the man and getting punished, they only breathe with ease when he leaves. They dreaded their father’s visits.

Spend quality time together  

When you visit, make the moment count. Don’t use your precious moments to quarrel or engage in petite power tussles. Instead, focus on creating memorable moments with your partner and fun time with your children. Do activities together as a family that will strengthen the family connection and enable your children to get to know their parents better. It will also make them look forward and eagerly to your next visit.

You can raise a happy and healthy family even when geographically separated from your family. All it requires is commitment and a great deal of effort from both parties. 

Have positive interactions with each other 

Let your interactions with your better half be positive, supportive and appreciative. One emotional need of every individual is the need to be supported and appreciated for all their efforts whether small or big. Such actions will prompt them to do more.

In particular, couples living physically apart from each other need lots of appreciation, assurances to love and commitment either in words and gestures, from each other to live the life of singles happily

When you are away from your partner, struggling to meet life's demands, the least you can do for each other is to appreciate one another’s efforts towards keeping the relationship afloat..

Set A Timeline

There must be a timeline that points to the possibility of living together as a couple in the future. Hope is the lifeline of a long-distance relationship. Long-distance relationships are easier to endure if there is a plan to be together. If possible, have a plan on how long the separation will last, set goals and work towards an agenda that will make spending time apart as short as possible.

 But this hope and anticipation are for couples who have a healthy and happy relationship, not for those who see the separation as a blessing because of insurmountable relational issues that had made it impossible for them to co-exist peacefully under the same roof.

Trust Each Other  

A long-distance relationship cannot survive without trust.

The key to fostering and maintaining trust in a relationship is for both partners to be completely transparent and vulnerable: remember, both of you are miles away physically, it’s likely you will go through problems of trust when such happens, react in the right manner, resolve it with wisdom and understanding.

Pray for each other

It will take humility, self-discipline, love, and commitment to each other and prayer, to tackle long-distance issues. Having the fear of God and committing your relationship into His hand; praying for one another constantly is necessary. Often, it takes the grace of God for couples to survive the temptations inherent in living apart.

Use social communication methods 

Couples are taking advantage of technology to help them bridge the gap of separation. Writing letters is how couples exchange meaningful information long distances in the olden days. Today, communication is easier and faster with the popularity of the internet, cell phone and  social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the rest

Using mobile devices, and internet service, have altered long-distance relationships and make it less challenging to sustain.  Many long-distance couples today can stay in constant touch wherever they are, and the communication technologies available to them allow them to share even the most mundane details. This gives couples more opportunities to talk about things that can create closeness and make separation less stressful and more enduring.

Don’t give up hope 

Problems in a long-distance relationship can be manoeuvred with the right levels of maturity.

 Maturity is a key to maintaining a long-distance relationship 

If you are not mature enough to handle issues in a calm and collected manner, you will hurt each other adversely,

If you’re experiencing some long-distance relationship problems, don’t give up hope. While serious issues are unavoidable, know that every problem has a solution. Your relationship will survive if both of you really work hard to make it a success. Once you're married you share something precious, something eternal, don’t lose it or allow the distance to rob you of its joy. If you love each other genuinely, no distance can separate you.

It is all in your hands. Even if you are miles apart or close to each other, only YOU can make your marriage a happy and healthy one.