WONDROUS THING: Find the Light (and don't stop till you do)

A woman I know was recently diagnosed with cancer. 

As you could imagine, it hit her hard. She was young and healthy. She was married, had a happy home and a beautiful daughter soon to become Bat Mitzvah.  Becoming ill was the last thing she expected.

Her cancer required months of treatment. Fear and radiation were constant companions.  With some of her lymph nodes removed, daily swelling and discomfort are now her new normal.

Yet, she surprised me when she said that despite all of the uncertainty surrounding her illness, she is happier now than at any other time in her life.

She always knew that she was married to a good man, but her husband’s love and endless devotion during her darkest moments has lifted their relationship to an entirely new level.

She now has a more profound appreciation for the true friends in her life as a result of the kindness and caring certain people shared with her and her family during her illness. 

But most of all, her bout with cancer has blessed her with the ability to distinguish which things are truly important in her life from those that are not.  The quality of each one of her days has been enriched immeasurably as a result.

Now we understand what the Mishnah (Berachot 9:5) means when it states “A person is required to bless God for the bad, just as one blesses God for the good...”

Who would have expected that out of such adversity could come such joy?  

Of course, it would be great to avoid misfortune in the first place, but if it should strike, may we always find a way to rise above the darkness so as to discover a little bit of light.  

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What challenges have you faced that facilitated a more keen appreciation of a blessing in your life?