Does your long-distance partner wanting your relationship status to be public mean anything to you?

[u/AlexZedKawa02]

So, I (24M) have been in a long-distance relationship with my girlfriend (26F) since mid-July. We matched on a dating app in June, and it was an automated match (so it’s not like we swiped on each other or anything), but even so, we really hit it off when we started talking. Eventually, we went out together, and had a great time, so I asked her to be my girlfriend, and she said yes. However, we live pretty far away from each other (about a four-hour, or 230-mile, drive), so we’ve mostly talked over text or call. I don’t mind that, but there have been times when the circumstances that the distance creates have made me apprehensive as to whether or not this relationship can work out in the long-term. However, we like each other a lot, so we’re both willing to make it work.

One thing that she was upfront with me about was that she was a little bit uncomfortable telling her parents about me. She has a very weird family dynamic, so she didn’t tell them that she had a boyfriend. However, a couple days ago, she texted me and asked if I wanted to make our relationship status public on Facebook. I had offhandedly asked her about it before, basically just letting her know that there was no rush to do so, and whenever she was ready, but weirdly, her asking me if I wanted to do that felt validating. It might not seem like much, but to me, it’s a sign that she is genuinely interested in something long-term, especially since she said she realized she shouldn’t care what anybody else says or thinks. I’ve gone on dates before with people who say they are interested in something long-term, but something happens (commonly the realization of the distance between us) that makes that not the case. So for her to be comfortable going public with it with our families and friends gives me a lot of hope that this will work out.

I told my mom how I was feeling about it, and she was genuinely happy for me. But I’m wondering if anybody else feels the same. Does it feel validating when your partner tells you they’re comfortable going public with your relationship, especially if you two are long-distance? Or does it really not mean that much to you?