Long-distance relationships can be tough to endure, especially when a birthday arrives. You desperately wish you could be by your love's side for his or her one special day a year and be part of this memory. In spite of your dismay at not being able celebrate with your sweetheart, you must be thoughtful and unique in your approach in an effort to make him or her feel your love despite the great distance separating you.

There are a number of ways to send a birthday message with the ease and options afforded by the Internet. This can also be accomplished by simply sending a card with a heartfelt paragraph or two declaring your love. Some of us excel at writing and others at speaking. If you prefer writing, you can send multiple messages via text, email, open and/or private messages on social media networks, or regular mail. A novel idea is to send a singing telegram...yes, those are still done!

Some of us shine when we are put on the spot and have a flair for the gift of speech. If you prefer the spoken word, you might choose to leave a heartwarming voicemail. Or, you might post a video on a social media network sending your love the gift of your voice and the pleasure of seeing your face as you profess your deepest emotions. There is also the option of a live or recorded video via webcam or created by your cell phone's video player. For an added bonus to a pre-recorded video message, shoot it at a place that is special to you both to further demonstrate your romantic side.

No birthday is complete without a cake. Most bakeries will deliver one for a birthday surprise. Or, you might consider baking it yourself; just be sure to send it overnight! For a birthday cheesecake, remember to send it frozen. Don't want to chance it? Junior's Cheesecakes are famous for their mouthwatering creations. Or, a wiser choice for the health-conscious would be a fruit torte or carrot cake. If your loved one is in the military, Operation Birthday Cake has sent over 15,000 cakes to those stationed overseas. No distance is too great to send a sweet reminder that the one you love is always in your heart.

In order to give the perfect present, you must select a gift that will speak to the heart. If you choose to send flowers, call a florist local to your sweetheart for the freshest pick. Or, a more original approach would be an edible fruit bouquet -- something of a work of art in flower-shaped fruit. As for the gift itself, giving an experience, such as a gift certificate for a spa day or fishing trip, will create a lifetime memory. If your love is stationed overseas, a personalized token, such an album of special photographs, would be a lovely alternative.