Suffering

I've been thinking lately about suffering. I know someone who seems never to have suffered much in her life; she's always been healthy, had money and food, a good job she loved. So when she complains about certain things it seems bizarre because the things she finds terrible are completely manageable to other people who have suffered much worse. I have a friend who I recently found out had a rough 10 years of her life. When she was just a teenager her mother died of cancer and she was the one who took care of her till the end. After that her father abandoned her and she was left to work and figure out how to feed herself; she had to invite herself to peoples houses constantly just to get a meal for the day. Her suffering is nothing like my own. But I'm beginning to understand more of those struggles as life hits me pretty hard. I still know very little of the pain most people face everyday but I'm glad God is giving me these things because I know with all my heart there will be a time of spring after this long and cold winter. The flowers will bloom again and the sun will come out and warm me. And that comforts me.