Nouwen uses a crystal ball

One of the books I'm reading for school is by Henry Nouwen. I'm not sure if this is one of those psych student things where you think everything you read is related to you, but honestly I think this book is really applicable right now. This is what Nouwen has to say about friendship

"Friendship is one of the most precious gifts of life, but physical proximity can be the way as well as in-the-way of its full realization.

Living together with friends is an exceptional joy, but our lives will be sad if that becomes the aim of our strivings. Having a harmonious team working in unity of heart and mind is a gift from heaven, but if our sense of worth depends on that situation we are sad people. Letters of friends are good to receive, but we should be able to live happily without them. Visits are gifts to be valued, but without them we should not fall into to temptation of a brooding mood. Phone calls, "just to say hello," can fill us with gratitude, but when we expect them as a necessary way to sedate our fear of being left alone, we are becoming easy victims of our self-complaints. We are always in search of community that can offer us a sense of belonging, but it is important to realize that being together in one place, one house, one city, or one country is only secondary to the fulfillment of our legitimate desire. "

this was from a chapter on how people can move from loneliness to a spiritually fulfilling solitude. I couldn't wrap my brain around that one, but the above passage spoke directly to my struggle with long distance friendships