Distance gives some misunderstandings extra time before correction can reach them.

A misreading between people in the same room lasts minutes. The same misreading across countries or time zones can sit for a day, growing in the silence, confirmed by nothing in particular, until it starts to feel like a fact about the friendship. Distance does not create the misunderstanding; it stretches the gap before anything can correct it. Time alone makes small things heavy.

When a message from far away lands badly, answer sooner rather than better. Say you are not sure how to read it and ask. A quick imperfect reply usually costs less than a slow careful one.