Almost two years ago, I returned from the beautiful land of Serbia. I was in terrible shape physically. Unbeknownst to me, my nervous system was being inhibited, reducing the function of my lungs and heart. (Vegas Nerve, for all you anatomy buffs.) Undiagnosed and unable to take care of myself, I lived with my parents. That wasn't even when I lost my dignity (that went down the drain after my first shower back).

When you don't know what the problem is, it's hard to find a solution. I was in pain, but there was nothing we could do except make sure my iPod was charged and my humidifier filled. I really didn't need much except for air and rest, so when the occasional person asked if there was anything they could do for me, I had to decline.

As tough as the illness was, nothing was worse than the frustration of my mom. She was helpless. She would tell me how it was so frustrating because, as a mother, she was always able to help her kids. As the recipient of years of her care, I can testify to this. Now, not even an unusual dose of pain medicine would help. She could only watch me struggle with my pain. She was experiencing a much different pain that very few can understand. No herbal bath or amount of tea could remedy it.

On top of that, she was alone to take care of the household. She was the only one to cook and clean, and I was helpless. I wanted to do anything, but I couldn't unload the dishwasher without going out of commission for the next couple weeks. My dad was around, but too busy to help her.

So if you want to help me, help my mom. Dinners don't have to be provided every night, just give her a hug. Put a dish in the dishwasher. Bring her chocolates. Lots of chocolates. Platitudes are not needed, but a listening ear will be enough. The greatest assistance can be given by giving some thought to what things a caretaker needs to have done in order to ease the burden. Support her. By supporting her, you support me.

Now that I am healing, I can help much more, and I take advantage of that. Moms are capable of being so in tune with their children; this empathetic connection can have a negative effect on them. If you want to help someone, help her caretaker. It's challenging to watch someone you care about suffer whether it's in a physical or emotional way.

Rarely do caretakers have their work cut and dry; they have to work with whatever rolls in. But amid the seemingly endless demands of caring for others, they also need to take care of themselves.

Who is there to care of the caretakers? In a world filled with as much need as there are beautiful people to handle those needs, we must rely on each other for support. During my time of need, I am fortunate to have a loving mother who is able to care for me.

We all share moments when our needs were met by someone who loves us and was willing to care for us. I look forward to the day when I can pay it forward. Until that time, I pray for the needs of my mother. And I am grateful for the enduring circle of love, support and service that helps her as she helps others.

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Whether you are in a long-distance relationship, your family lives in a different state, or you just want to keep in touch with old roommates and friends, there are plenty of ways to stay connected.

Download Skype, hop on Google+ or grab your phone. Here are a few ideas on how to make your long-distance interactions more exciting and fun:

Start a book club

Pick a book to read together, and then set up a time to do a group video chat and discuss it.

Watch Netflix or Hulu

Give your friend a call, and then turn on a movie or TV show at the same time, so that you can watch it simultaneously and discuss as you go.

Game apps

Download fun mobile games that you can play together. (I highly suggest Words with Friends, Hanging with Friends or Draw Something.)

Handwritten notes

Write each other letters or postcards.

Daily texts

Whether it's a joke, a quote-of-the-day, or something random, make it a tradition to send something to someone every day to give you a reason to chat.

Meaningful pictures

Send pictures of objects or places with some kind of meaning and tell them why it's important to you.

Facebook tag

It's simple, you just write, "TAG!" somewhere on their Facebook wall. You can play this with multiple friends.

Picture conversation

Instead of using words, only pictures instead. Have a common theme or conversation. (For example, when I did it, we focused on the proper way to eat, which turned into how bad of cooks we are, which turned into how grumpy the other person is...all joking, of course.)

Videos

Substitute pictures with videos! It could be something you had a discussion about, or what songs you have been listening to recently. (Laughing yoga is a good place to start.)

"It was something like this..."

My old roommate and I played this even while we were living together. Find a picture (we did strange/creepy animals), send it to the other person, and let them determine what "it" looks like.

Dance party

My favorite? Billy Joel. One person plays a song from their laptop or iHome, and then the two of you can rock out.

Q & A

It's simple. Ask each other questions back and forth, but make them as creative as possible. The rules are that you have to answer them honestly and truthfully. Whoever refuses to answer the question first is the loser.

Have fun with it. Add your own flare! Be creative and willing to try new things. Being away from the people you love can be hard, but there are still many ways to stay close.

The post 12 creative things you can do to make your long-distance relationships more fun appeared first on FamilyToday.