The Bear Hunt

What is the meaning of suffering? Why do we have to go through life with different trials and challenges? My favorite book as a child was “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”. It portrays a family who is searching for a bear and in order to get to the cave, they have to overcome a set of obstacles. Every time they reach a challenge they repeat, “We can’t go over it, we can’t go under it, we’re going to have to go through it!”

 I feel this way with trials and suffering. There is simply no way to avoid certain struggles. However, I believe that as we “go through” challenges, we learn who we are. Through suffering we are refined and molded into the people that we are meant to become. We suffer so we can help others who suffer. I have found many times in my life that after a trial, I am able to help someone else go through something similar.

We suffer because if life was easy, we wouldn’t know or comprehend true joy. The greater sorrow we feel, the greater capacity we have to feel joy. Is it worth it? Yes. Suffering has brought so much meaning into my life. Is there any meaningless suffering? I believe that nothing that happens in our lives is meaningless. It only becomes meaningless if we decide not to grow or change from the experience. Does this happen? Yes. We have to make the decision to overcome. That decision must be made every single day. What decision will you make?