My husband and I have been together 5 years and the last 2 have been long distance. It is hard but in some ways we have grown closer than we would have if we were together. Since we do not see each other often, we have to communicate through words alone. This has really improved our communication. We talk multiple times a day. In fact we actually talk more when we are apart than when we are together. Seems like when we are together we always find something besides talking to do. Don't get me wrong it is very difficult. You really have to be committed and have a lot of trust in the other person. You also have to be fairly independent so that you can handle the times when you must do things on your own because your partner is not there to help. We do not have children, but I imagine that would add yet another level of complexity to a LDR. For us it has worked and brought us closer.