I thank Hashem for the pain,
because it reminds me
I have lived and I am still alive.
It is, indeed, a gift to exist,
and with that comes suffering,
and there is no escaping that
whether you are Buddhist or Catholic.
I did not learn to be grateful
for the thing I wish most didn't happen,
but I have come to realize
it makes me more human.
If you are grateful for your life,
then you have to be grateful for all of it,
including loss and suffering,
because it allows you to love more deeply.