Suffering is part of our life

Can you imagine  a world with no more death, no more killing, no more pain, no more sorrow, no more crying, nor sickness, a world where everything is a joy and a pleasure. I don’t think so, because suffering is the vehicle to happiness and joy.  This is the reality, whether we accept it or not. We have never thought that a day  would come, when we see killers, snipers, or terrorists taking over  our streets. We all are suffering now, but how can we bring good out of bad, bring faith out of curse, bring love out of hatred.

The following story tells all contradictory situations and feelings created on the ground in beloved Syria under the current crisis :

Salma is the elder daughter of my neighbor.  She used to live happily with her husband and five year- old  son in a village near Damascus.  Seven months ago,  while she was away  to bring food for  her family with her child, a sniper shot her child and he was  killed instantly .

For a month she couldn’t talk or even cry, she was shocked by the demise of her son. Her husband, her family and friends tried their best to comfort her, but in vain.  Suddenly, she asked her mother to go with her to one of the displaced centers, where many displaced families were living, she began to listen to their tragedies, trying to calm them down , help them, and play with their children. So far, she still moves from  one place to another  to give the helping hand for displaced persons in need.

When we met a week  ago, she spoke to me  proudly about her experience .  She said: “unless you’ve lost a child yourself, you can’t imagine the shock, the pain, and the anguish I felt”.  She proceeded , with the passing of time ” I asked myself, would I let the heart breaking experience turn me bitter or make me better ?  thanks largely to my family ,friends, and my husband, whose prayers and words of encouragement strengthened me to overcome the ordeal. I resorted to the God Almighty.  My agony has been alleviated with the passing of time, whenever I come across to other Syrians  who had lost their beloved ones, with their houses demolished as a result  of  terrorist attacks,  I am now Having the courage and high spirit  to console  them.   I have to admit that the tragic death of my son, though a painful experience, yet it made me a person of a better human affiliation.

My word to all the readers of my story, who  lost a beloved one, or passed  severe difficulties, is to hold  on, no matter how difficult the experience or dark the night, there will soon be light at the end of the tunnel.

          Butheina Alnounou

          bossynounou@yahoo.com