A friend of mine believes
suffering tells us
who we truly are.
I think that's only partly true.
We were not made solely for suffering.
Only the entirety of a life
can determine who we are.
What we actually experience
and actually do
is the only way to know.
If we suffer,
we will know ourselves
through suffering.
If we rejoice,
joy will teach us
who we are.
Descartes said,
"I think, therefore I am."
I say,
"I am, therefore I am."