In the scorching heat of a summer afternoon, I blame the pain.

Sweat drips down my spine and my legs are cramping with exhaustion. I stop the run and stretch my arms to the clear sky to normalize my breathing.

A couple passes me by. Although they appear happy, I can tell something is wrong almost instantly. Once you’ve been through dire circumstances, it becomes easier to identify certain cues like the way the man lovingly holds the woman's arm or her short and slow footsteps, even the way the shawl hangs from her shoulders. She is in pain.

I finish the run seemingly unaffected by the encounter, but once I make it back home, I collapse on the porch and cry. More than ten years ago, it was me who was stumbling my way through breast cancer treatment. Although my recovery was excruciatingly painful at times, the sudden flashback brings tears of joy. A decade after the diagnosis, I feel nothing but gratitude for the illness and the suffering it caused because its chaotic turmoil turned me into a better human being.

There is a silver lining to physical, mental, and emotional pain. Once you open up your heart to life's hurdles, your spirit learns invaluable lessons and growth follows. Be thankful for the pain; you are still alive, and life is beautiful.