"You know quite well, deep within you, that there is only a single magic, single power, a single salvation... and that is called loving. Well, then, love your suffering. Do not resist it, do not flee from it. It is your aversion that hurts, nothing else."
Herman Hesse
Among the many sayings my maternal grandmother, Julia Victorina Cuza, would repeat was, "Cuando te venga el sufrimiento, aceptalo con amor." "When suffering comes to you, accept it with love."
Years later, I was surprised to discover that our sage rabbis have said much the same thing.
How difficult! I don't want to suffer. I want to be happy, carefree, up-beat. Yet, in my myriad painful personal experiences as well as travels to many countries, I came to realize there is much travail, hunger, death, sadness, and tragedy in life. In other words, suffering is real and universal.
How can I cope with my own hurts? Tears come so easily, my heart can quickly become heavy, thinking of what I don't have and what I have lost.
This is a great challenge. This will now be a discipline for me, to embrace my suffering.
Hesse, the rabbis and my grandmother all agree, Love your suffering!
I cannot promise I will be able to do this any time soon. I can only say that if I can love my suffering, my suffering will diminish.
I sincerely hope I mature to the point where it will be a reality in my life.
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