The Gift of Suffering

“It is a gift to exist, and with existence comes suffering.” – Stephen Colbert

I don’t often talk about it, but I had a not good marriage (understatement of the year) that ended in a divorce after about two decades.

There are still issues from it.

But my ex-wife brought into the world three boys that are my world, even if I want to fairly often strangle them because they are teenage versions of myself. 

Would I go through all the pain, the costs, the anguish and anxiousness and uncertainty and pain and suffering again if I had a reset button?

Yes.

Pain is the price of life, and the greater the rewards the greater the risks and sacrifices and adversity.  And no matter the struggle, no matter how often I remind my children that there is a reason why animals eat their young, I would not trade them for a million pounds of gold.  Maybe for ten minutes of peace and quiet, but I would then miss the beautiful chaos they have brought to my world.