How to Contend with Misery and Grief

           Life indeed is unfathomable. Its mysteries hide almost in every turn of event. And the entirety of man’s existence as a tiny fraction of eternity seems so endless when plunged into misery and grief. But then, it is our reality. Martin Heideger said that man is “dasein”. That his “being” is thrown into existence far beyond his control or even his will to be, or not to be. Man never had that choice. Thus, once a person is born, he starts to serve a sentence he has to pay, for the simple fault of being hurled into this world even unwillingly. Worst of all, he is forced to believe that his lot was a gift, that his existence is an endowment and that whatever comes along his way, he has no other choice but to bear it.

It’s no wonder then that some people hate living, while others find their lives dull and meaningless. Perhaps they fail to see any beauty or even a tinge of real joy due to the suffering that surrounds them. Nevertheless, other people prove to be strong enough to survive the throes of suffering. Some people even manage to find some meaning just to have some reason to continue living. Indeed, it is only some meaning that keeps man’s zest a live, for without it, life would be like a dry leaf being tossed by the incessant wind, or a wayward lily that keeps on drifting. It is simply meaning that keeps a person alive.

For this, misery and grief may be born with dignity if one, even in such a very challenging situation can remain steadfast to his pursuit of meaning. No matter how great is one’s suffering if only one can still find some meaning in them, the prospect of going on surviving will remain.

There are three important attributes that if truly present in a person can help him surmount almost all forms of suffering. One is love. The ability to give love, or to share even a modicum of love to others despite all the sufferings that abound can be a reason to be meaningful. Alongside with it is the gift of being loved, or being cared for makes an individual stronger in the face of whatever battle he is in. Love indeed conquers all, even suffering itself.