This came at a kairotic moment: 

Daily Meditation for August 25, 2010
                written by Henri Nouwen
 
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Love and the Pain of Leaving
 
Every time we make the decision to love someone, we open
ourselves to great suffering, because those we most love
cause us not only great joy but also great pain.   The
greatest pain comes from leaving.  When the child leaves
home, when the husband or wife leaves for a long period 

of time or for good, when the beloved friend departs to 

another country or dies ... the pain of the leaving can 

tear us apart.
 
Still, if we want to avoid the suffering of leaving, we 

will never experience the joy of loving.  And love is 

stronger than fear, life stronger than death, hope 

stronger than despair.  We have to trust that the risk 

of loving is always worth taking.
 
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