“For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.” Khalil Gibran
Today, I heard something that struck my soul. In discussing the plight of our society, while referring to the text Man’s Search for Meaning (which I recommend), my professor spoke on human suffrage, “You can’t lose the will the suffer, otherwise a person can die long before their body does.”
The will to suffer.
This is a concept I hadn’t ever acknowledged.
The courage to endure.
I’m revisiting this post three years later as a 23-year-old. I found this in my drafts and immediately felt compelled to reflect on this. If I could tell my younger self anything right now, knowing what I do with the experiences I’ve gained, it would be to endure.
Endure the pain. Endure the hurt. Endure the uncertainty. Even more powerful than the will to live, find within yourself the will to suffer and the courage to endure.
The universe has a funny way of reminding you who’s boss. In my journey to understand why bad things happen, I’ve concluded that sometimes you need to be brought to your knees to learn how to stand on your own two feet. In your times of suffering, reawakening your own will to endure and ability to know you can walk through the storm is your lesson. Yes, some of this will never make sense to us.
Life is hard – no one disputes that. In fact, I’ve seen even more suffrage since writing this quote down years ago. I’ve lost family members, watched others lose some, too. Suffrage is a constant – but so is love. And love is the reason you endure.
Love, Devin Fiona 