the meaning in suffering

     I'll be a better doctor.  I'll be more empathetic.  I can feel things on a deeper level.  I'm not afraid of death.  These are all things that could be said about what the suffering gave birth to.  But these are active choices of mine.  They are not the meaning of suffering for me.  Read any book on suffering - religious, philosophical, memoirs, classic literature - and they all try to address the meaning of suffering.  Most offer empty platitudes.  I'm not sure there is a meaning.  Or, if there is, I have yet to figure it out.  The closest I'll come to agreement is with Victor Frankl's notion that one must create meaning out of the suffering.  At least I will not rule that out at this point as it has an appeal that leaves it up to the individual.  There is no set answer.  It's up to you to figure out.  For now, though, I'll settle with continuing to put one foot in front of the other. All I can hope for is to survive the suffering.