The Gift of Misfortune

I have recently experienced a few minor disappointments. I won't describe the disappointments in detail because they're far too minor to be noteworthy, so let it suffice to say that I had wished that events had gone a bit more favorably. I say that I "had wished" that events had gone differently because I no longer wish that. I'm kind of glad the events turned out the way they did. Sure, the experiences weren't what I would have wished for, but they weren't insufferable, and by now, I have reaped some benefits from those experiences, including a small measure of appreciation for how good my life normally is. Unfortunate experiences happen to everyone, and there's generally a lot we can learn from them. With enough time passed to dull the pain of the experiences and gain some perspective about them, we can even grow to be thankful for the misfortune we endured. In the grand scheme of things, mortality itself could be seen as a period of hardship and suffering, but by the time it's over, we'll be glad we had an opportunity to experience it. Life is full of misfortune, but ironically, we're somewhat fortunate that it is.