Many of my clients are suffering through. They feel burdened, beat up, held down. Be it under depression's clouds or a situation they are living, they are suffering. Google says that to suffer is to be subjected to or experience something bad or unpleasant. Some have lost loved ones or children, some have been left by a loved one, some hope daily to come up out of the mire of depression. We talk in therapy about the purpose of the suffering and the emotions experienced. For those of faith we talk about why the Lord allows such suffering and how to make sense of a loving God amidst such pain. We wrestle through, walk through, together. Suffering is better handled in the presence of another. We work to figure out what suffering well looks like in their life. Many clients are able to live that out beautifully; many walk through such difficulty with joyful purpose, hope and patience. There truly can be joy in suffering; hope can exist around the pain. And as we come through the suffering, we can be deeper, stronger, more capable of loving and being loved. Sometimes we just need the listening ear and nudge of another person to help get there. I came across this article here and loved the way it expounds on this concept. For those wrestling with suffering, it's a challenging and comforting read.